Stomach cancer is classified into stages 0 through IV to indicate to what extent the cancer has invaded the organ and whether it has infiltrated nearby tissues, other organs, or the lymph nodes (small organs that produce immune system cells that circulate throughout the body).
- Stage 0: Abnormal cells are growing in the inner layer of the affected organ. These cells may develop into cancer. This stage is also called carcinoma in situ.
- Stage I: Cancer is found in the inner layers of the stomach and possibly in a small number of lymph nodes.
- Stage II: Cancer has grown into the muscle layer of the stomach and has spread to a larger number of lymph nodes.
- Stage III: The cancer has either grown through all the layers of the stomach or is smaller but has spread to more lymph nodes than in stage II.
- Stage IV: Either the cancer is large and has grown through the stomach and to nearby structures, or it is smaller but has spread to distant areas of the body, such as other organs.
Learn about treatment for stomach cancer.
Read more about gastrointestinal cancer:
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