Stages4 min read

Stage 3 breast cancer

Stage 3 is locally advanced: the cancer has grown significantly or reached many lymph nodes — but it has not spread to distant organs.

Stage 3 includes large tumours, tumours invading the chest wall or skin, or extensive node involvement under the arm or around the collarbone. The defining feature is that there is still no distant metastasis.

Stage 3 treatment is intensive and multimodal

  • Neoadjuvant therapy to shrink the cancer first
  • Surgery after treatment response
  • Radiation therapy
  • Hormone therapy and targeted therapy depending on the profile

Stage 3 is serious and treatment is demanding, but cures do happen — the proportion is not negligible, and it improves with every new therapy.

In brief

A locally advanced cancer
No spread to distant organs
Multimodal treatment, often with curative intent

What you can do

Build a strong support circle

Treatment is a team effort — medically and emotionally.

Ask about clinical trials

New options are often available at this stage.

Keep learning

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