Like all other cancers, breast cancer is also divided into various stages for the facilitation of treatment through correct diagnosis. In this article I will highlight some important facts about stage 3 breast cancer.
Stages 3C, 3B and 3A are the different subcategories in which stage 3 breast cancer is usually divided. Invasive breast cancer is detected in stage 3A. Usually at this stage, there might be no tumor in the breast.
Axillary lymph nodes which stick to other structures or clump together carry the cancerous growth. At other times it is found that lymph nodes which are located close to the breastbone have come under the attack of cancer that is spreading.
The size of the tumor may be 5 centimeters or it may be smaller and the axillary lymph nodes have already been preyed by the cancer. In the next sub stage, the tumor might have exceeded 5 cm and grown larger and started spreading.
In stage 3B, which is also an invasive breast cancer stage, the size of the tumor has grown really big, it might be of any size and the skin of the breast and/or the chest wall will be under attack from the cancer that is spreading its tentacles ominously.
We have already talked about the lymph nodes located below or above the collarbone, which will fall prey to the spreading cancer. And the axillary lymph nodes and those located close to the breastbone will also get affected by the spreading cancer. It is at stage 3B, that doctors declare inflammatory breast cancer. At stage 3C, another invasive breast cancer stage, apart from the breastbone lymph nodes and axillary lymph nodes which will be under attack, the lymph nodes below and above the collarbone will also get affected by the cancer.
A peculiar thing that is noticed at stage 3C is that the breast may contain no sign of cancer. However, if a tumor is at all present, the size of it can be of any diameter and it may or may not have spread to the breast skin and chest wall.
