Stage 3 breast cancer
The breast cancer subcategories for stage 3 are 3A, 3B, and 3C.
3A cancer is invasive cancer of the breast where there is no breast tumor or tumor of any type that develops alongside cancer located in four to nine axillary lymph nodes or breastbone lymph nodes. 3A person has a tumor greater than 5 cm, as well as clusters of the lymph nodes with breast cancer cells between 0.2–2 mm in diameter.
In 3A, the tumor is larger than 5 cm, and cancer has also spread to one to three axillary lymph nodes or near the breastbone lymph nodes.
Stage 3B breast cancer is breast cancer which is also invasive. It is a tumor of any duration that has spread into the breast’s chest wall or skin, causing swelling or forming ulcer. It may also have spread to as many as nine axillary lymph nodes or spread to involve lymph nodes of the breastbone.
If cancer spreads to the breast skin, a person can develop inflammatory cancer. Inflammatory breast cancer signs include: breast skin turning red, swelling of the breast, and feeling unnaturally warm.
Stage 3C breast cancer is one in which there is no actual tumor in the breast, or the tumor can be of any size and has spread through the chest wall or the breast tissue. Cancer may also occur in 10 axillary lymph nodes or more.
In this stage, the cancer usually spreads to lymph nodes above or below the collarbone, or axillary lymph nodes or lymph nodes near the breastbone.