Uterine cancer stage 3 has spread beyond the uterus and cervix, but not the pelvis. It is divided into substages 3A, 3B, and 3C. Treatment includes radiation therapy, surgery, and chemotherapy. Accurate staging is crucial for effective treatment. The average five-year survival rate is approximately 83%.
In stage 3 uterine cancer, the disease has spread beyond the uterus and cervix, but not the pelvis. Stage 3 of uterine cancer is divided into substages 3A, 3B, and 3C based on how far the cancer has moved into the pelvic area. Once the cancer has been diagnosed, further tests including computed tomography, X-rays and blood work are used to stage the disease. A hysterectomy may also be required. Cancer staging is a crucial step because it determines the treatments available and the patient’s prognosis.
When a patient’s uterine cancer is stage 3, her disease is present in the uterus and cervix but has not spread outside the pelvic area. There are a total of four stages of this type of cancer. Once the cancer has spread beyond the uterus, it will be stage 3 or 4. The earlier the stage, the more likely surgery is to get rid of all the cancer.
Stage 3 uterine cancer is further divided into stages 3a, 3b and 3c depending on how far the disease has spread within the pelvic area. In stage 3a, the cancer is found in the outermost layer of the uterus, the tissue just outside this layer or the tissue lining the abdominal wall. When the cancer has spread to the vagina, it is stage 3b. Cancer in the lymph nodes near the uterus is stage 3c.
A patient may undergo several diagnostic tests before her doctor determines that she has stage 3 uterine cancer. A pelvic exam is the typical screening test that doctors administer to inspect for abnormalities in the vagina and cervix. A doctor may also use a hysteroscope or lighted tube to examine the inside of a patient’s uterus.
If uterine cancer is suspected, the diagnosis is confirmed through further tests. A transvaginal ultrasound creates an image of a woman’s uterus using sound waves that show the thickness, texture, and any abnormalities of the endometrium. Surgical removal of a tissue sample from the uterus for testing is also a possible diagnostic test.
Treatment of stage 3 uterine cancer typically begins with radiation therapy and a radical hysterectomy that includes the removal of lymph nodes from the pelvic area and uterus, cervix, and part of the vagina. Patients who are not candidates for surgery can only receive radiation and chemotherapy. Hormone therapy is reversed for those who cannot have radiation therapy or surgery.
A patient should be well informed about the staging process because inaccurate staging can lead to ineffective treatment. The process should be thorough and a precise step determined once the surgery has been completed and all tissue samples have been analyzed. The average five-year survival rate for patients with uterine cancer is approximately 83% across all stages. This statistic is not conclusive because each case is unique; A patient’s treatment team is the best resource for questions about her prognosis.
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