Stage 3 non-small cell lung cancer is a broad category of lung cancers that is further broken down into stage 3A and stage 3B. Stage 3A is considered a “locally advanced” cancer, meaning the tumor has not spread to distant regions of the body but has spread to lymph nodes on the same side of the body as the tumor. Stage 3B is considered advanced lung cancer along with stage 4, and though it is not usually curable, it is treatable.
Roughly 30% of people have stage 3 lung cancer at the time of diagnosis, leaving 30% of individuals diagnosed at an earlier stage (stage 1 or stage 2 disease) and 40% having already progressed to stage 4 (metastatic) lung cancer at the time of diagnosis.
Next: Definition and Staging
