Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsLife ExpectancySurvival RatesWhat Is Stage 3?TNM StagingTreatmentRemissionOutlookFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Life Expectancy
Survival Rates
What Is Stage 3?
TNM Staging
Treatment
Remission
Outlook
Frequently Asked Questions
The five-year stage 3 breast cancer survival rate is 86.3%.This means roughly 86.3% of those with stage 3 breast cancer will still be alive five years after diagnosis.
Cancer survival depends on many different factors, and your own outlook and treatment strategy may be different than someone else’s. There are several substages within stage 3 breast cancer, and it’s important to understand the differences since diagnosis helps to guide treatment and prognosis.
This article explains the stage 3 breast cancer diagnosis and its impact on life expectancy. It discusses staging, treatment options, and what the survival rate statistics mean.
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For example,inflammatory breast canceris a stage 3 diagnosis that considers the degree of the cancer’sinvasivenessrather than tumor size.While this type accounts for 5% or less of all breast cancers, it is aggressive and hard to treat, with a less optimistic prognosis.
Remember that survival rates are based on data from previous years and can’t give you all the information you need. For example, the 2023 stage 3 breast cancer survival rates are based on statistics gathered from 2013 to 2019.
Researchers often stress that survival rate numbers lag and do not reflect new treatment options. Your healthcare team can discuss your specific situation with you.
HER2 Status and Breast CancerHER2 status is one factor that contributes to stage 3 breast cancer, its treatment options, and your overall outlook. Targeted therapies likeHerceptin(trastuzumab) and Tykerb (lapatinib) specifically act on this protein. These drugs have improved survival rates but most people with an advanced HER2-positive breast cancer will see the cancer progress.
HER2 Status and Breast Cancer
HER2 status is one factor that contributes to stage 3 breast cancer, its treatment options, and your overall outlook. Targeted therapies likeHerceptin(trastuzumab) and Tykerb (lapatinib) specifically act on this protein. These drugs have improved survival rates but most people with an advanced HER2-positive breast cancer will see the cancer progress.
HER2 Testing for Breast Cancer and What the Results Mean
The relative five-year survival rate for stage 3 breast cancer, which means the percentage of those diagnosed with the disease who are alive five years after diagnosis, is 86.3%. It is important to remember that each person is different, and statistics simply give a larger overall picture.
A five-year survival rate is the percentage of people who will live forat leastfive years after diagnosis. It does not mean you will only live for five years. Many women with stage 3 breast cancer will live for years or even decades longer than that.
Stage 3 breast cancer is considered regional disease. This means it has spread to regional lymph nodes. It is notmetastatic, meaning it hasn’t spread to other parts of the body.
Stage 3 breast cancer is further divided into three subgroups. The differences between each group can affect your treatment options (for example, if surgery is possible) and outlook.
Stage 3A Breast Cancer
Verywell / Jessica Olah
Stage 3B Breast Cancer
Symptoms of swelling and inflammation are likely with inflammatory breast cancer.
Stage 3C Breast Cancer
This stage also includes inflammatory breast cancer. It is defined as:
Your treatment options will depend on a precise understanding of your disease and whether it is stage 3A, 3B or 3C, along with factors like whether or not surgery is an option.
Stages of Breast Cancer: Understanding the Classification System
If you are diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer, your treatment plan would likely include surgery,chemotherapy, and, in most cases,radiation.
Treatment for stage 3 breast cancer may include:
Is Inoperable Breast Cancer Treatable?
With a stage 3 breast cancer diagnosis, surgery is not always an immediate option. A number of variables may be at work, including the possibility of inflammatory breast cancer. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy is often a first-line treatment for inflammatory breast cancer, in the hopes that successful mastectomy andaxillary lymph node removal(dissection) can then be completed.
Keep in mind that although your breast cancer is inoperable, the oncology team still has other treatment options. Specific hormonal therapies can be used, for example, which may contribute to decisions about surgery.
For example, one study of more than 83,000 people over age 50 found a lower rate of surgery in people with ER-positive breast cancer up to stage 3A than in their ER-negative counterparts.The comparative lower risk of their tumors and access to hormonal therapy options are likely factors but more research is needed to better understand the data.
How Breast Cancer Spreads and Recurs
3:01Breast Cancer Treatment Options
3:01
Breast Cancer Treatment Options
Your oncology team will continue to monitor treatment success for breast cancer that is in remission, which means the tumor has shrunk significantly or has completely disappeared. These categories include:
From there, they will determine what (if any) treatments to continue, as with hormonal therapies. Keep in mind that it’s not uncommon for more advanced breast cancers to return.Future treatments may be different than the ones your healthcare providers have already tried.
Even if your cancer is controlled (not cured) you will have regular checkups with your oncologist for at least the next five years. During this time, you will continue to have regularmammogramsand perform regularself-examsif breast tissue is still remaining.
Reducing the Risk of Breast Cancer Recurrence
Your individual prognosis will depend on many factors including your diagnosis. Atriple-negative breast cancer, for example, is more likely to have an initial prognosis and recurrence rate that’s less optimal than others. Around 60% will have long-term survival.
It’s important to keep up with your healthcare visits and maintain a healthy lifestyle. This can help you to avoid recurrence but also boost your chances of survival if your breast cancer comes back.
Living with cancer can be challenging, not just physically, but emotionally as well. Finding a support group or therapist can be helpful. Many hospitals or cancer centers have disease-specific support groups available; talk with your treatment team to see if your treatment center has one. If not, ask your provider for resources.
Summary
Stage 3 breast cancer is breast cancer that is advanced but not metastatic. It is still treatable.
Depending on the tumor’s characteristics, it can be treated with a variety of options including surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, hormone therapy, or a combination of these.
The survival rate for breast cancers with regional spread is 86.3%, but remember that survival statistics may not take into account newer and more effective therapies. They offer an incomplete picture of what to expect based on your specific diagnosis and health history.
There are many different types of breast cancer, but these represent some of the main types.
There are five main stages of breast cancer that start from stage 0 (noninvasive breast cancer) and end at stage 4 (invasive cancer that has spread to other areas of the body). However, each breast cancer stage above 0 also has subcategories. For example, stage 3 breast cancer has three subcategories, which are referred to as 3A, 3B, and 3C.
In general, Stage 3 breast cancer is considered curable. However, the success of treatment depends on the extent of spread, grade of the cancer, hormone receptor status, and response to treatment.
15 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Cancer Institute Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) Program.Female Breast Cancer — Cancer Stat Facts.McDonald E, Clark A, Tchou J, et al.Clinical diagnosis and management of breast cancer.J Nucl Med.2016;57(Suppl 1):9S-16s. doi:10.2967/jnumed.115.157834.American Cancer Society.Inflammatory breast cancer.Pernas S, Tolaney SM.HER2-positive breast cancer: new therapeutic frontiers and overcoming resistance.Ther Adv Med Oncol. 2019 Mar 19;11:1758835919833519. doi:10.1177/1758835919833519.National Breast Cancer Foundation.Stage 3 (III) A, B, And C Breast Cancer Overview.National Cancer Institute.Breast Cancer Treatment (PDQ®)–Patient Version.National Cancer Institute.Cancer staging.American Cancer Society.Treatment of breast cancer stages I-III.American Cancer Society.Immunotherapy for breast cancer.National Cancer Institute.Targeted therapy to treat cancer.Jauhari Y, Gannon MR, Dodwell D, Horgan K, Clements K, Medina J, et al.Surgical decisions in older women with early breast cancer: patient and disease factors.Br J Surg. 2021 Mar 12;108(2):160-167. doi:10.1093/bjs/znaa042.Pan H, Gray R, Braybrooke J, Davies C, Taylor C, McGale P, et al.20-Year Risks of Breast-Cancer Recurrence after Stopping Endocrine Therapy at 5 Years.N Engl J Med. 2017 Nov 9;377(19):1836-1846. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa1701830.Stewart RL, Updike KL, Factor RE, et al.A multigene assay determines risk of recurrence in patients with triple-negative breast cancer.Cancer Res.2019;79(13):3466–3478. doi:10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-18-3014American Cancer Society.Types of breast cancer.Breastcancer.org.Breast cancer stages.
15 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Cancer Institute Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) Program.Female Breast Cancer — Cancer Stat Facts.McDonald E, Clark A, Tchou J, et al.Clinical diagnosis and management of breast cancer.J Nucl Med.2016;57(Suppl 1):9S-16s. doi:10.2967/jnumed.115.157834.American Cancer Society.Inflammatory breast cancer.Pernas S, Tolaney SM.HER2-positive breast cancer: new therapeutic frontiers and overcoming resistance.Ther Adv Med Oncol. 2019 Mar 19;11:1758835919833519. doi:10.1177/1758835919833519.National Breast Cancer Foundation.Stage 3 (III) A, B, And C Breast Cancer Overview.National Cancer Institute.Breast Cancer Treatment (PDQ®)–Patient Version.National Cancer Institute.Cancer staging.American Cancer Society.Treatment of breast cancer stages I-III.American Cancer Society.Immunotherapy for breast cancer.National Cancer Institute.Targeted therapy to treat cancer.Jauhari Y, Gannon MR, Dodwell D, Horgan K, Clements K, Medina J, et al.Surgical decisions in older women with early breast cancer: patient and disease factors.Br J Surg. 2021 Mar 12;108(2):160-167. doi:10.1093/bjs/znaa042.Pan H, Gray R, Braybrooke J, Davies C, Taylor C, McGale P, et al.20-Year Risks of Breast-Cancer Recurrence after Stopping Endocrine Therapy at 5 Years.N Engl J Med. 2017 Nov 9;377(19):1836-1846. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa1701830.Stewart RL, Updike KL, Factor RE, et al.A multigene assay determines risk of recurrence in patients with triple-negative breast cancer.Cancer Res.2019;79(13):3466–3478. doi:10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-18-3014American Cancer Society.Types of breast cancer.Breastcancer.org.Breast cancer stages.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
National Cancer Institute Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) Program.Female Breast Cancer — Cancer Stat Facts.McDonald E, Clark A, Tchou J, et al.Clinical diagnosis and management of breast cancer.J Nucl Med.2016;57(Suppl 1):9S-16s. doi:10.2967/jnumed.115.157834.American Cancer Society.Inflammatory breast cancer.Pernas S, Tolaney SM.HER2-positive breast cancer: new therapeutic frontiers and overcoming resistance.Ther Adv Med Oncol. 2019 Mar 19;11:1758835919833519. doi:10.1177/1758835919833519.National Breast Cancer Foundation.Stage 3 (III) A, B, And C Breast Cancer Overview.National Cancer Institute.Breast Cancer Treatment (PDQ®)–Patient Version.National Cancer Institute.Cancer staging.American Cancer Society.Treatment of breast cancer stages I-III.American Cancer Society.Immunotherapy for breast cancer.National Cancer Institute.Targeted therapy to treat cancer.Jauhari Y, Gannon MR, Dodwell D, Horgan K, Clements K, Medina J, et al.Surgical decisions in older women with early breast cancer: patient and disease factors.Br J Surg. 2021 Mar 12;108(2):160-167. doi:10.1093/bjs/znaa042.Pan H, Gray R, Braybrooke J, Davies C, Taylor C, McGale P, et al.20-Year Risks of Breast-Cancer Recurrence after Stopping Endocrine Therapy at 5 Years.N Engl J Med. 2017 Nov 9;377(19):1836-1846. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa1701830.Stewart RL, Updike KL, Factor RE, et al.A multigene assay determines risk of recurrence in patients with triple-negative breast cancer.Cancer Res.2019;79(13):3466–3478. doi:10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-18-3014American Cancer Society.Types of breast cancer.Breastcancer.org.Breast cancer stages.
National Cancer Institute Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) Program.Female Breast Cancer — Cancer Stat Facts.
McDonald E, Clark A, Tchou J, et al.Clinical diagnosis and management of breast cancer.J Nucl Med.2016;57(Suppl 1):9S-16s. doi:10.2967/jnumed.115.157834.
American Cancer Society.Inflammatory breast cancer.
Pernas S, Tolaney SM.HER2-positive breast cancer: new therapeutic frontiers and overcoming resistance.Ther Adv Med Oncol. 2019 Mar 19;11:1758835919833519. doi:10.1177/1758835919833519.
National Breast Cancer Foundation.Stage 3 (III) A, B, And C Breast Cancer Overview.
National Cancer Institute.Breast Cancer Treatment (PDQ®)–Patient Version.
National Cancer Institute.Cancer staging.
American Cancer Society.Treatment of breast cancer stages I-III.
American Cancer Society.Immunotherapy for breast cancer.
National Cancer Institute.Targeted therapy to treat cancer.
Jauhari Y, Gannon MR, Dodwell D, Horgan K, Clements K, Medina J, et al.Surgical decisions in older women with early breast cancer: patient and disease factors.Br J Surg. 2021 Mar 12;108(2):160-167. doi:10.1093/bjs/znaa042.
Pan H, Gray R, Braybrooke J, Davies C, Taylor C, McGale P, et al.20-Year Risks of Breast-Cancer Recurrence after Stopping Endocrine Therapy at 5 Years.N Engl J Med. 2017 Nov 9;377(19):1836-1846. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa1701830.
Stewart RL, Updike KL, Factor RE, et al.A multigene assay determines risk of recurrence in patients with triple-negative breast cancer.Cancer Res.2019;79(13):3466–3478. doi:10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-18-3014
American Cancer Society.Types of breast cancer.
Breastcancer.org.Breast cancer stages.
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