Stage 3 Breast Cancer: Survival Rates and Treatment

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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Life Expectancy

Life expectancy with stage 3 breast cancer is shaped by a number of factors, including your overall health. Breast cancer can be a complex diagnosis, and your prognosis (outcome) will depend on:

  • Your age when you were diagnosed
  • The type of breast cancer (whether hormone receptors are present)
  • The HER2 status (presence of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 proteins)
  • How far the breast cancer has advanced (TNM staging)
  • Decisions about treatment options and how effective they are

For example, inflammatory breast cancer is a stage 3 diagnosis that considers the degree of the cancer's invasiveness rather 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 Cancer

HER2 status is one factor that contributes to stage 3 breast cancer, its treatment options, and your overall outlook. Targeted therapies like Herceptin (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.

Survival Rates

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 for at least five 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.

What Is Stage 3?

Stage 3 breast cancer is considered regional disease. This means it has spread to regional lymph nodes. It is not metastatic, 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

This staging is defined by:

  • A tumor less than 2 centimeters in size that's spread to between 4 and 9 nearby lymph nodes
  • A tumor larger than 5 cm with some pinprick-sized cancer cell clusters in lymph nodes
  • A tumor larger than 5 cm with up to 3 lymph nodes affected at the arm or breastbone
stage 3a breast cancer

Verywell / Jessica Olah

Stage 3B Breast Cancer

This staging is defined by:

  • Any size tumor
  • Cancer also in the chest wall or breast skin
  • Possible spread of cancer in up to 9 nearby lymph nodes

Symptoms of swelling and inflammation are likely with inflammatory breast cancer.

stage 3b breast cancer

 Verywell / Jessica Olah

Stage 3C Breast Cancer

This stage also includes inflammatory breast cancer. It is defined as:

  • The presence or absence of tumor (with inflammatory cases) and 10 or more lymph nodes involved
  • The presence or absence of tumor (with inflammatory cases) and spread to lymph nodes at the collarbone
  • The presence or absence of tumor (with inflammatory cases) and spread to lymph nodes at the breastbone and under the arm
stage 3c breast cancer

 Verywell / Jessica Olah

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.

Because breast cancers are defined by more than one characteristic, a number of factors contribute to a stage 3 diagnosis and how that may affect outcomes. The table below shows some possible examples of how breast cancer might be assessed and staged.

Stage Tumor Size Millimeters Armpit Lymph Nodes Metastatic Spread Grade  Hormone Receptor HER2 Status
2A 30 mm None No 1 ER-/PR- Positive
3A 53 mm 4-9 nodes No 2 ER+/PR- Positive
4 65 mm 3 Yes (lungs) 1 ER-/PR- Positive

Stage 3 breast cancer substages can be further broken down by other characteristics outlined in the TNM classification of malignant tumors (also known as the TNM system).

TNM Staging

Since both your treatment and prognosis can be impacted by substage classifications, careful staging is needed.

Although the TNM system may seem confusing at first, the rationale is pretty straightforward. The TNM system stages cancer based on three characteristics represented by its acronym:

  • T: Tumor size
  • N: Lymph nodes
  • M: Metastases

The letters are followed by numbers that further describe the size and extent of the malignancy. Further information can be added to the diagnosis of stage 3 breast cancer by reviewing its TNM score.

Stage 3A Breast Cancer
TNM Score Definition
T0, N2, M0 No tumor has been found in breast tissue, but cancer cells have been found in the lymph nodes of your underarm or breast.
T1, N2, M0 The tumor is 2 centimeters in size or smaller and/or has extended beyond the perimeter of breast tissue. Cancer may have also spread to lymph nodes in your underarm or breast.
T2, N2, M0 The tumor is over 2 centimeters but under 5 centimeters in size. Cancer has also been found in the lymph nodes in your underarm or breast.
T3, N1, M0 The tumor is bigger than 5 centimeters but has not yet invaded breast skin or the chest wall. There will be cancer in the lymph nodes under your arm.
T3, N2, M0 The tumor is bigger than 5 centimeters but has still not affected breast skin or the chest wall. Cancer has been found in either the underarm lymph nodes or those of your breast.
Stage 3B Breast Cancer
TNM Score Definition
T4, N0, M0  The tumor may be of any size and has affected breast skin or has grown into your chest wall (without involving the pectoralis muscle connecting the front of the chest to the upper-arm and shoulder bones). This tumor may also be a rare type known as inflammatory breast cancer.
T4, N1, M0 The tumor may be of any size. It will have spread to breast skin or the chest wall, or it may be inflammatory breast cancer. Cancer will also be found in underarm lymph nodes near the affected breast.
T4, N2, M0 The tumor may be of any size. It will have spread to breast skin or the chest wall, or it may be inflammatory breast cancer. Cancer will also be found in underarm lymph nodes or nodes within the breast.
Stage 3C Breast Cancer
TNM Score Definition
T(any), N3, M0 The tumor may be of any size but will be contained within breast tissue only. Your chest wall and breast skin would be unaffected. The lymph node status can vary. Cancer may be found in the nodes of your armpit, within your breast, over your collarbone, beneath your collarbone, or in several locations at once.

Treatment

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:

  • Lumpectomy, the surgical removal of a small, isolated tumor. A sentinel node biopsy will be needed to find out if cancer cells have traveled beyond your breast.
  • Mastectomy, the surgical removal of the breast and nearby tissue along with a lymph node biopsy. Breast reconstruction may be offered, but it is sometimes delayed due to radiation therapy.
  • Chemotherapy, alone or before surgery (neoadjuvant) or after surgery (adjuvant) to reduce the likelihood of recurrence.
  • Immunotherapy, which uses medications to help a person's immune system better recognize and destroy cancer cells in the body. These drugs usually work on certain proteins in the immune system to boost the immune response.
  • Targeted therapies that attack proteins on cancer cells that control how they grow, divide, and spread.

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 and axillary 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.

3:01

Breast Cancer Treatment Options

Remission

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:

  • Partial remission: The tumor size is reduced by at least 50% and your cancer is controlled.
  • Complete remission: Tests, scans, and exams are unable to detect traces of cancer in the body, which may be called no evidence of disease (NED) on reports.

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 regular mammograms and perform regular self-exams if breast tissue is still remaining.

Outlook

Your individual prognosis will depend on many factors including your diagnosis. A triple-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.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What are the types of breast cancer?

    There are many different types of breast cancer, but these represent some of the main types.

    • Invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) is the most common type of breast cancer, representing 70%–80% of all cases. It begins in the cells lining a milk duct and spreads to other breast tissues.
    • Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is the earliest stage of ductal cancer. Cancer cells have not yet spread to other nearby areas, making it noninvasive or preinvasive.
    • Invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) starts in lobules, or the breast glands that make milk.
    • Triple-negative breast cancer means that cancer cells lack estrogen or progesterone receptors, and create little or none of the protein HER2.
    • Inflammatory breast cancer: Lymph vessels are blocked by cancer cells, causing the breast to appear inflamed.
    • Paget's disease of the breast: Cancer cells appear on the nipple and the areola.
  • How many stages of breast cancer are there?

    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.

  • Is Stage 3 breast cancer curable?

    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.

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Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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By Jaime R. Herndon, MS, MPH
Jaime Herndon is a freelance health/medical writer with over a decade of experience writing for the public.

Originally written by Pam Stephan