Brain cancer stage 3 is the next-to-last stage of cancer of the brain. When a person has this stage of brain cancer, the tumor grows quickly, which means the disease has become aggressive. In many cases, cancer cells have also moved into tissues that are outside the brain. Additionally, brain cancer stage 3 is marked by changes in the appearance of the cells of the tumor; by this stage, they look dramatically different from normal cells. Treatment for this stage of brain cancer often includes surgery to remove the cancerous tumor and chemotherapy, which helps to destroy cancer cells and shrink the tumor.

Typically, brain cancer is categorized into four different stages. While brain cancer stage 3 is not the most serious form of cancer a person can have, it is both aggressive and life threatening. When a brain tumor is small and growing slowly, a patient's prognosis is often better. Unfortunately, with stage 3 of the disease, the cancer is usually growing faster than in the previous stages, which can make it harder to achieve successful treatment.

When an individual has brain cancer stage 3, his tumor has also changed in terms of the spread of the cancer cells. This stage of the disease is often marked by the cells spreading into nearby tissues. Unfortunately, the spread of cancer to other tissues often makes treating it difficult and is associated with a more dire prognosis for affected patients. This doesn't, however, mean that doctors will not be able to provide suitable treatment for a person with brain cancer stage 3 and a tumor that is spreading.

The appearance of cancer cells is also an important factor when determining the stage of cancer a person has reached. In the early stages of cancer, the tumor cells may look normal. When a person has brain cancer stage 3, however, the cancer cells differ significantly in appearance when compared to normal cells.

The treatment plan for brain cancer stage 3 depends on the unique needs and preferences of the patient. In many cases, however, surgery is used to removed the tumor from the patient's brain. Chemotherapy is often used as well, in an effort to kill cancer cells that have begun to spread from the original location of the tumor. Sometimes doctors may even use chemotherapy in preparation for surgery. In such a case, the treatment can be helpful for shrinking the tumor enough to allow for easier surgical removal.