Stage 3

Mesothelioma Stage 3

Stage III – The Butchart System

The tumor has invaded the muscle of the diaphragm to involve the abdominal cavity or the space behind the membrane that forms the lining of the abdominal cavity. It has also invaded the sac around the heart to involve its internal surface or the heart itself. The tumor is no longer considered operable.

Stage III – The TNM System

The TNM system is based on the evaluation of three components:

• T- The extent of the primary tumor
• N- Whether or not the tumor has spread (metastasized) into the regional lymph nodes and how extensively it has spread
• M – Whether or not there is distant metastasis

Numbers are used in conjunction with each letter to indicate the extent of the disease.

Stage III is Divided into IIIA and IIIB

Stage IIIA

• The tumor size is larger than 7 cm and has spread into the lymph nodes close to the diseased lung.
• The tumor size is larger than 7 cm and has spread into the chest wall, the diaphragm, or the sac around the heart.
• The tumor size is larger than 7 cm and it has metastasized into the lymph nodes near the main airway or the lymph nodes in the center of the chest near the diseased lung.
• The tumor is any size, but it has spread to the heart, wind pipe, esophagus, larynx, a bone in the spine or a major blood vessel. It may also have spread to the lymph nodes near the diseased lung.
• There is more than one tumor of any size in the same lobe of the diseased lung. It may also have metastasized into the lymph nodes near the diseased lung.

Stage IIIB

• The tumor is any size and has spread into the lymph nodes on the opposite side of the chest from the diseased lung.
• The tumor is any size and has spread into the lymph nodes at the center of the chest and has spread into one or more of the following areas: the chest wall, diaphragm, sac around the heart, heart, windpipe, esophagus, major blood vessel.
• The tumor is still considered operable, but the prognosis is extremely poor.