What is the third stage of lymph node cancer?

In the third stage of lymph node cancer, the cancer is present in lymph node areas on both sides of the diaphragm, according to the American Cancer Society. The cancer may also have spread to organs next to the lymph nodes or to the spleen.

Stage 3 is the third of four stages of categorizing the extent to which cancer has spread in the body, notes the American Cancer Society. Lymphoma is cancer that begins in lymphocytes, which are infection-fighting cells of the immune system, explains WebMD. Types of lymphoma include non-Hodgkin and Hodgkin, and the disease occurs when lymphocytes change and grow out of control.