Stage 3

Stage 3 bowel (colon and rectal) cancer has spread to nearby lymph nodes, but hasn't spread to distant body parts. It's divided into 3 groups - 3A, 3B and 3C.

Stage 3A

Stage 3A means one of the following:

• the cancer is still in the inner or muscle layer of the bowel wall, and it has spread to between 1 to 3 nearby lymph nodes or to areas of tissue close to the lymph nodes

• the cancer is in the inner layer of the bowel wall and has spread to between 4 and 6 nearby lymph nodes

Stage 3B

Stage 3B means one of the following:

• the cancer has grown into the outer lining of the bowel wall or into the tissue layer covering the organs in the tummy (abdomen) and it has spread to between 1 and 3 nearby lymph nodes or to areas of fat close to the lymph nodes

• the cancer has grown into the muscle or outer lining of the bowel wall and between 4 to 6 nearby lymph nodes contain cancer

• the cancer is still in the inner or muscle layer of the bowel wall and it has spread to 7 or more nearby lymph nodes

Stage 3C

Stage 3C means one of the following;

• the cancer has grown through the outer lining of the bowel wall into the tissue layer covering the organs in the tummy (abdomen) and between 4 to 6 nearby lymph nodes contain cancer

• the cancer has grown into the outer lining of the bowel wall or into the tissue layer covering the organs in the abdomen and it has spread to 7 or more nearby lymph nodes

• the cancer has grown through the bowel wall into other nearby organs and it has spread to at least one nearby lymph node or to areas of fat close to the lymph nodes

TNM stages

The TNM staging system stands for Tumour, Node, Metastasis.

In TNM staging stage 3A is one of the following:

• T1 – T2, N1- N1c, M0
• T1, N2a, M0

In TNM staging, stage 3B is one of the following:

• T3 – T4a, N1-N1c, M0
• T2-T3, N2a, M0
• T1-T2, N2b, M0

In the TNM staging, stage 3C  the same as one of the following;

• T4a, N2a, M0
• T 3- T4a, N2b, M0
• T4b, N1-N2, M0

Treatment for stage 3 large bowel (colon) cancer

You have surgery to remove your cancer. Most people have chemotherapy after surgery. You might take chemotherapy as a tablet, or have it into your vein (intravenous).  

This might be as part of a clinical trial.

Treatment for stage 3 cancer of the back passage (rectal cancer)

The main treatments are:

• surgery
• radiotherapy
• chemotherapy
• chemotherapy combined with radiotherapy (chemoradiotherapy)

You might have:

• surgery as your only treatment, or followed by chemoradiotherapy if the risk of your cancer coming back is higher than the surgeon previously thought
• a short course of radiotherapy, followed by surgery
• a course of chemoradiotherapy, followed by surgery

Further treatment

Your doctor might offer you chemotherapy after surgery if you have a high risk of your cancer coming back.

Other stages