The five-year survival rate for colorectal cancer is between 53 percent and 89 percent, depending on the exact stage and type, according to the American Cancer Society. Stage 3 colorectal cancer is divided into three subgroups, known as A, B and C. For example, stage 3B colon cancer has a five-year survival rate of 69 percent, while a person with stage 3B rectal cancer has a survival rate of 71 percent.Continue Reading
Stage 3 colorectal cancer is a cancer that has spread outside of the colon into at least one lymph node, states WebMD. Patients who have stage 3 cancer that has spread to less than five lymph nodes typically have better survival rates than those whose cancer has spread to more than five nodes. The overall five-year survival rate for this stage is 64 percent.
The stage that has the highest five-year survival rate is stage 3A colon cancer, which has a rate of 89 percent, notes the American Cancer Society. Stage 3A rectal cancer has a slightly lower five-year survival rate of 84 percent. The stage with the lowest survival rate is 3C colon cancer, with a rate of 53 percent. Stage 3C rectal cancer's rate is 58 percent. In some cases, patients with 3A colorectal cancers have a better survival than those with stage 2B colorectal cancer.Learn more about Cancer