Stages of Stomach Cancer

With staging and other related examination the doctor can tell the cancer has spread out to other parts and to what extent. The areas like the liver, pancreas, lungs and other neighboring organs can be affected due to it.

The staging in stomach cancer depends on how deep the cancer has penetrated to the lining of the stomach, whether it has metastasized and attacked the lymph nodes or not. The more detained a cancer is the enhanced are the likelihood of cure. The surgeon may remove the lymph nodes and may take other samples from the abdomen. These samples are then sent to the pathologist to see if further any cancer cells are present. The following are the stages in stomach cancer:-

Stage 0- this is the early stage and the cancer is found at the innermost layer of stomach wall.

Stage I- the cancer is observed in the 2nd and the 3rd layer and is not spread to the lymph nodes near the cancer or it may have reached the 2nd layer and close to the tumor has started to penetrate the lymph nodes.

Stage II- the cancer from the 2nd layer of the stomach wall has now spread to the lymph nodes further away. It may have reached the 3rd muscle layer and have begun to spread in the lymph nodes near the tumor. Or else the cancer may have reached all the 4 walls of the stomach without reaching the lymph nodes.

Stage III- this stage is a bit advanced than the 2nd stage. In this stage the cancer may have spread to the 3rd layer of eth stomach wall and the lymph nodes auxiliary to the tumor. In the 2nd case the cancer may have spread to the 4 walls of the stomach, lymph nodes to the tumor near by or far away from it. The near by tissues are also affected by the cancerous cells. There may be chances that the cancer may or may not have spread to the lymph nodes near the tumor.

Stage IV- in this the caner now has engulfed the neighboring tissues and lymph nodes and also have metastasized.

Recurrent- sometimes the cancer may become recurrent. It means it may have come back even after the course of treatment. The other part like the lungs, pancreas, liver or the lymph nodes may show cancer now.