stage 3 – the cancer is larger and may have spread to the surrounding tissues and/or the lymph nodes (or "glands", part of the immune system) stage 4 – the cancer has spread from where it started to at least 1 other body organ, also known as "secondary" or "metastatic" cancer.
Cancer can also start in the lymph nodes. These are called lymphomas. "In general, cancers that have spread to the lymph nodes are typically stage 2 or 3," says Juan Santamaria, MD, Nebraska Medicine surgical oncologist. "Many of these cancers are still treatable and even curable at this stage.
To metastasize, cancer cells break off from the primary tumor and travel through the blood or lymph to other organs. If someone is found to have cancer in their lymph nodes, it's usually a bad sign that the cancer has or will soon spread to other parts of the body. Most cancer deaths are caused by metastatic cancer.
In this stage, the tumor may have grown to a specific size, the cancer may consist of multiple tumors, and/or the cancer may have spread to adjacent lymph nodes, organs or tissue. In some cases, stage 3 cancers may be considered metastatic cancers, meaning they may have spread beyond their organ of origin.
Cancer that has spread to the lymph nodes is treatable through surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and other approaches. However, treatment can never guarantee that cancer will disappear completely or never come back.
Metastatic cancer occurs when cancer cells break off from the original tumor, enter your bloodstream or lymph system and spread to other areas of your body. Most metastatic cancers are manageable, but not curable. Treatment can ease your symptoms, slow cancer growth and improve your quality of life.
Stage 4 lymphoma is when cancer has spread to at least one body organ outside the lymphatic system, such as the spinal cord, lungs, bones, or liver.
The 5-year survival rate for patients with lymph node metastases in the upper and/or middle mediastinum was 23.3%. Among them, the values after 2- and 3-field lymph node dissection were 5.6% and 30.0%, respectively (P = 0.005).
The most common warning sign is an enlarging neck mass or lump. They are usually noticed by a patient or detected by their doctor. However, the diagnosis of metastatic lymph nodes will require examination by a doctor, radiologic imaging and a biopsy.
Surgery may be used to treat some forms of metastatic cancer that has spread to the lymph nodes. Other treatment options for cancer in the lymph nodes may include chemotherapy, radiation therapy, a stem cell transplant, immunotherapy or targeted therapy.
Stage 4. Stage 4 is the most advanced stage of lymphoma. Lymphoma that has started in the lymph nodes and spread to at least one body organ outside the lymphatic system (for example, the lungs, liver, bone marrow or solid bones) is advanced lymphoma.
Lymph node metastasis occurs in "metastatic" lymph nodes, lymph nodes that have been infected by cancer from elsewhere in the body. A part of the immune system, lymph nodes are tiny ovals placed throughout your body. When you have cancer, your doctor will check your lymph nodes to see if the cancer has metastasized.
Stage 4 lymphoma is treatable. Aggressive rounds of chemotherapy are often given as a first-line treatment for lymphoma at this stage. The five-year relative survival rate for stage 4 lymphoma varies and ranges from 57% to 86% based on the type you have.
Lymphoma most often spreads to the liver, bone marrow, or lungs. Stage III-IV lymphomas are common, still very treatable, and often curable, depending on the NHL subtype. Stage III and stage IV are now considered a single category because they have the same treatment and prognosis.
When cancer is advanced, it means that it can't be cured. Doctors might also say that the illness is terminal. This means that it is likely to cause death within a limited period. How long is difficult to predict, but it could be weeks to several months.
With lymphoma, the lymph nodes often grow slowly and may be there for months or years before they're noticed. But sometimes they grow very quickly. Usually, the swollen nodes don't hurt. But some people say their lumps ache or are painful.
Lymph nodes are the most common sites of metastasis in cancer patients.
Lymph nodes are one of the most common places for cancer to spread. The liver, lungs, and bones are also common sites of metastasis.
When cancer cells break away from a tumor, they can travel to other areas through either the bloodstream or the lymph system. If they travel through the lymph system, the cancer cells may end up in lymph nodes. Most of the escaped cancer cells die or are killed before they can start growing somewhere else.
A Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database analysis by Smith et al. demonstrated that 10 lymph nodes dissection was optimal, but there was continued survival improvement with up to 40 lymph nodes removed (10).
In total, there are between 20 to 30 axillary lymph nodes, though the exact number varies between individuals.
stage 3 – the cancer is larger and may have spread to the surrounding tissues and/or the lymph nodes (or "glands", part of the immune system) stage 4 – the cancer has spread from where it started to at least 1 other body organ, also known as "secondary" or "metastatic" cancer.
Stage 3 cancer means the breast cancer has extended to beyond the immediate region of the tumor and may have invaded nearby lymph nodes and muscles, but has not spread to distant organs. Although this stage is considered to be advanced, there are a growing number of effective treatment options.
Patients with stage 3 mesothelioma may have varying degrees of lymph node involvement. Patients with more cancerous lymph nodes have a life expectancy of about 13 months. Those with minor lymph node involvement often live more than two years.