Stage IIB
The tumor has grown into nearby tissues, such as muscles, cartilage, or bone. It has not spread to the lymph nodes or elsewhere in the body.
Stage III
The cancer has spread to the lymph nodes. The tumor can by any size and may have spread to nearby bone, muscle, connective tissue, or cartilage.
Stage IIIA
The tumor is any size or may have grown into nearby tissues. Biopsy or surgery has found that the cancer has spread to nearby lymph nodes. The cancer has not spread to other parts of the body. Or, there is no sign of a tumor, but cancer was found in a nearby lymph node during an exam or with imaging scans. Its presence was confirmed using a microscope.
Stage IIIB
The tumor is any size or may have grown into nearby tissues. The cancer has spread through the lymphatic system, either to a regional lymph node located near where the cancer started or to a skin site on the way to a lymph node, called “in-transit metastasis.” In-transit metastasis may have reached these other lymph nodes. The lymphatic system is part of the immune system and drains fluid from body tissues through a series of tubes or vessels.
Stage IV
The tumor has spread to distant parts of the body, such as the liver, lung, bone, or brain.