Stage 3 Mesothelioma

At stage 3 mesothelioma, the cancer has spread to nearby tissues, organs, and possibly distant lymph nodes. Stage 3 is the most commonly diagnosed stage of mesothelioma with a mean life expectancy of about 16 months. Symptoms increase in patients with stage 3 malignant mesothelioma as cancer progresses. Although there is no spread to distant organs and tissues. The nearby spread and involvement of the lymph node normally restrict the curative treatments available. The patients often turn to palliative care to alleviate symptoms and better quality of life to offer.

At stage 3 mesothelioma carcinoma near the point of origin remains in the lining of the lung (pleura) in a pattern known as local spreading. The diaphragm, the pericardium, the area between the lungs (mediastinum) and layers of the chest wall near the main tumor may be affected. The big difference between stage 3 and stage 4 mesothelioma is that tumors have not yet spread to distant organs. Tumors have spread over the entire pleural lining on one side of the chest.

Due to the long latency and late-onset symptoms. The majority of mesothelioma patients are not properly diagnosed until the disease has progressed to stage 3 mesothelioma. At this time, the cancer has formed metastases or spread beyond the origin of the tumors, but is still localized one side of the body. Metastasis varies with the type of mesothelioma. But in most cases, mesothelioma cells have reached the lymph nodes and spread throughout the abdomen at this stage.

Stage 3 Mesothelioma by Type

With any type of mesothelioma, patients have fewer treatment options and the prognosis worsens as the disease progresses. In recent years, further clinical studies have focused on the search for effective therapies even in the late stage of mesothelioma. Some studies have shown promising results for pleural and peritoneal mesothelioma patients. During the diagnostic process, physicians will examine the patient's history and symptoms. Perform imaging tests and blood tests, and perform a biopsy to determine the type of cancer and staging. Mesothelioma cancer uses a four-stage staging system to classify the disease. And staging varies depending on the type of mesothelioma a patient has.

Stage 3 Pleural Mesothelioma

The Pleural mesothelioma is the only form of the disease that has a staging system. Doctors can rely on multiple systems, although the TNM system (Tumor Node Metastasis) is the most widely used and frequently updated. The TNM system identifies tumor size when the cancer has spread to lymph nodes and where the cancer has spread throughout the body. In the latest issue, the researchers decided to divide stage 3 pleural mesothelioma into two categories based on their tumor thickness and morphology data and their overall survival implications.

The TNM system examines the size and extent of the mesothelioma tumors (T), lymph node involvement (N) and metastasis (M) or growth. Grade 3 malignant pleural mesothelioma continues to be divided into Levels 3A and 3B.

Stage 3A Mesothelioma

• Cancer cells are located in the pleura on the one side of the breast
• Lymph node involvement nearby
• Possible the spread in the chest wall, pericardium, fascial food or mediastinal fat
• No of distant metastasis

Stage 3B Mesothelioma

• All components of mesothelioma stage 3A with distant lymph node involvement possible
• The Spread in the chest wall, peritoneum, pleura on the opposite side of the chest, mediastinal organs, pericardium or other areas of the spine
• No of distant metastasis
• Near or distant lymph node involvement

The crucial feature between stage 3 and the stage 4 mesothelioma is that stage 3 diagnoses spread to nearby organs and tissues, while stage 4 diagnoses indicate metastases in distant organs and tissues. According to the American Cancer Society, the 2-year survival rate for stage 3A is about 30% and the 5-year survival rate is about 5%.

Stage 3 Peritoneal Mesothelioma

As a rarer form of the mesothelioma cancer, the peritoneal mesothelioma does not have a clear staging system. Doctors often rely on more general information about mesothelioma staging, which describes this stage as localized on one side of the body, with the tumors spreading to nearby organs and lymph nodes. At this stage, researchers have found that the organs spread within the chest wall and abdominal cavity, including the cecum, kidneys, and pancreas, as well as the lungs and thyroid gland.

The malignant peritoneal mesothelioma accounts for only 15-20% of all diagnoses. Less common than pleural mesothelioma, this type does not have its own staging system. Instead, mesothelioma specialists use general mesothelioma features or the Peritoneal Cancer Index (PCI), which classifies tumors in different areas of the abdomen and adds up the scores. A score in the range of 21-30 indicates stage 3 peritoneal mesothelioma.

Stage 3 Pericardial Mesothelioma

The Pericardial mesothelioma accounts for only 1 - 2% of diagnoses. In limited case studies, professionals have not established a pericardial mesothelioma staging system. Pericardial mesothelioma tumors are often aggressive and grow rapidly, and most patients are diagnosed at stage 3 or 4 or posthumously during an autopsy. At this stage, the cancer has probably spread in the thoracic cavity and in nearby organs and lymph nodes, and possibly in the lungs. With limited data available, researchers describe stage 3 pericardial mesotheliomas through general cancer staging, which is also used for peritoneal mesothelioma. By this time, the cancer has probably spread to nearby lymph nodes, throughout the chest and possibly into the lungs.

Since the pericardial mesothelioma, which affects the lining of the heart, is so rare, research is limited and this form also lacks a suitable staging system. However, as pericardial mesothelioma is the most difficult to diagnose type, there is evidence that patients are often undiagnosed until the disease progresses to stage 3 or 4, with the majority of patients diagnosed posthumously.

Stage 3 Testicular Mesothelioma

Even less often than pericardial mesothelioma, testicular mesothelioma lacks a definitive staging system, and specialists rely on general staging tools to diagnose the disease. Stage 3 testicular mesothelioma indicates that the cancer has spread beyond testicular lines, which limits treatment options and worsens prognosis.

Defining Stage 3 Mesothelioma

The TNM is the most commonly used staging system for pleural mesothelioma. Doctors sometimes turn to the Brigham staging system or the Butchart staging system when they are studying the spread of cancer. In three staging systems have slightly different definitions of stage 3 mesothelioma.

TNM Staging System: The Stage 3 mesothelioma is the divided into two subcategories. In Figure 3A, the cancer has spread to the nearby lymph nodes and structures such as adipose tissue in the mediastinum. Tumor-removing surgery is still possible in 3A, while surgery for 3B can not completely remove the tumor. The cancer has not spread to distant organs or distant lymph nodes.

Brigham Staging System: The Tumors have spread to the area between the lungs or invade the chest wall or the diaphragm. In Stage 3 mesothelioma, surgical removal is no longer possible due to advanced tumor metastasis throughout the thoracic space and near the lymph nodes. The cancer has spread to distant lymph nodes. Growth is significant enough when surgery is no longer possible.

Butchart Staging System: In Stage 3 of the Butchart system, the tumor has spread from the lining of the chest to the lining of the abdomen or vice versa. It may also have spread to lymph nodes that are a distance from the area where the tumor appeared for the first time.

Stage 3 Mesothelioma Symptoms

In the earlier stages, the symptoms of the mesothelioma are often minor and can not even be detected. In Stage 3, however, the symptoms are more intense and can be severe. Stage 3 patients are often given various palliative treatments to relieve symptoms. These include surgeries such as pleurozentesis or pleurodesis to remove fluid retention, relieve pain and improve respiration. Compared to earlier stages, patients diagnosed with stage 3 mesothelioma experience more pronounced and severe symptoms that can severely affect their quality of life. As the cancer spreads, it can also experience new symptoms when it reaches other parts of the body.

• Chest pain
• Chest tightness
• Coughing
• Difficulty breathing
• Fever
• Fatigue
• Weight loss
• Shortness of breath (dyspnea)
• Fluid Buildup

Even with cancer advancing to stage 3, it is still crucial for patients to seek medical treatment as soon as possible to get started before the disease progresses.

Stage 3 Mesothelioma Prognosis

At Stage 3 malignant mesothelioma patients have a mean life expectancy of about 16 months. The prognosis is less favorable than in the early stages, as the disease has spread, and aggressive treatments such as extrapleural pneumonectomy are usually no longer an option. The Mesothelioma patients have a pretty bleak prognosis at all times. In addition to the stage, a number of factors can influence the prognosis of an individual, such as cell type and type of mesothelioma, age, genetics, and overall health.

The prognosis varies from patient to patient, as each diagnosis is different. Gender, age, genetics, general health and smoking of the patient can affect the prognosis as well as the cell type and the type of cancer. Survival rates continue to increase as researchers and mesothelioma physicians improve diagnostic tools and discover new treatment techniques.

Stage 3 Mesothelioma Treatment

The Staging is an influential factor in determining a patient's treatment plan. At Stage 3 patients generally, have limited options and may be subjected to non-aggressive surgery or multimodal treatment due to cancer health and metastasis. For patients with stage 3A malignant pleural mesothelioma, while curative surgery may still be an option, it is unlikely to be viable for stage 3B patients. In Stage 3, treatment options for patients may be severely limited, depending on how far the cancer has spread. In general, physicians can still rely on a multimodal approach to conventional cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy, to try to prevent further spread and possibly shrink existing tumors.

Surgery, chemo, and radiation alone can be used to remove as much cancer as possible or delay the progression of the cancer. These therapies can also be used palliatively to relieve symptoms. Palliative care is often an important part of a Level 3 treatment plan to provide the patient with the highest possible quality of life.

Surgery

The majority of the patients no longer have curative surgery at this time as an option because the tumors are too common, although some may require palliative surgery to relieve symptoms. For example, fluid buildup in the lungs (pleural effusion) or elsewhere in the body is a common symptom at this stage. Surgeries such as pleurodesis or paracentesis can relieve fluid pressure and improve the quality of life of pleural and peritoneal mesothelioma patients.

Chemotherapy

One of the most attractive forms of chemotherapy for peritoneal mesothelioma patients is hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC), which in some cases increased life expectancy by 50% or more. However, most doctors believe that the cancer is too advanced for the aggressive treatment to be effective. Instead, patients can receive traditional chemotherapy combinations such as pemetrexed and cisplatin, which can be used curatively or palliatively.

Radiation

In advanced stages, doctors recommend less radiotherapy. Radiation is considered a targeted, localized treatment. Since the mesothelioma in stage 3 indicates that the cancer has spread on one side of the body, the radiation would be ineffective. However, in some cases, it may be recommended as a palliative treatment to shrink tumors and reduce symptoms. Some studies have found that radiotherapy can reduce symptoms such as chest pain and respiratory distress.

Staging is important of the factor in determining which the treatments a patient can perform. Accurate the staging not only helps physicians understand the progression of the disease, but it also gives patients insight into their treatment options. For example, patients with stage 3A pleural mesothelioma may undergo surgical resection, whereas stage 3B patients are typically not candidates.

The Patients may be eligible for experimental cancer treatments and clinical trials that have succeeded in some cases in improving life expectancy. Patients should discuss options with their physician to see if they meet the criteria for participating in such treatments.