What does stage III colon cancer mean?

In stage III, tumor cells have already spread to the surrounding lymph nodes, but not to distant organs. This means that the tumor is more aggressive than in earlier stages, but is usually still curable.

Treatment usually consists of surgery to remove the affected section of the intestine and the affected lymph nodes, followed by chemotherapy. This combination significantly increases the chances of recovery. The prognosis depends on the number of affected lymph nodes and the general condition. With optimal therapy, the cure rate is between 60-75 %.

For patients, good follow-up care is important:

• regular colonoscopies,
• blood tests (e.g. CEA level)
• imaging controls

Through close interdisciplinary collaboration, long-term and reliable monitoring of the disease is possible.