Stomach Cancer (cont.)
Staging
To plan the best treatment, your doctor needs to know the extent (stage) of
the disease. The stage is based on whether the tumor has invaded nearby tissues,
whether the cancer has spread, and if so, to what parts of the body. Stomach
cancer can spread to the lymph nodes, liver, pancreas, and other organs. The
doctor may order tests to check these areas:
- Blood tests: The lab does a complete blood count to check for anemia. Blood
tests also show how well your liver is working.
- Chest x-ray: An x-ray machine
takes pictures of your lungs. The doctor can then study these pictures on film.
Tumors in your lungs can show up on the x-ray.
- CT scan: An x-ray machine linked
to a computer takes a series of detailed pictures of your organs. You may
receive an injection of dye. The dye makes abnormal areas easier to see. Tumors
in your liver, pancreas, or elsewhere in the body can show up on a CT scan.
- Endoscopic ultrasound: The doctor passes a thin, lighted tube (endoscope) down
your throat. A probe at the end of the tube sends out sound waves that you
cannot hear. The waves bounce off tissues in your stomach and other organs.
- Laparoscopy: A surgeon makes small incisions (cuts) in your abdomen. The surgeon
inserts a thin, lighted tube (laparoscope) into the abdomen. The surgeon may
remove lymph nodes or take tissue samples for biopsy.
Sometimes staging is not
complete until after surgery to remove the tumor and nearby lymph nodes.
These are the stages of stomach cancer:
- Stage 0: The cancer is found only in the inner layer of the stomach. It is
carcinoma in situ.
- Stage I is one of the following:
The tumor has invaded only
the submucosa. Cancer cells may be found in up to 6 lymph nodes. Or, the tumor has invaded the
muscle layer or subserosa. Cancer cells have not spread to lymph nodes or other
organs.
- Stage II is one of the following:
The tumor has invaded only the
submucosa. Cancer cells have spread to 7 to 15 lymph nodes. Or, the tumor has
invaded the muscle layer or subserosa. Cancer cells have spread to 1 to 6 lymph
nodes. Or, the tumor has penetrated the outer layer of the stomach. Cancer cells
have not spread to lymph nodes or other organs.
- Stage III is one of the
following:
The tumor has invaded the muscle layer or subserosa. Cancer cells
have spread to 7 to 15 lymph nodes. Or, the tumor has penetrated the outer
layer. Cancer cells have spread to 1 to 15 lymph nodes. Or, the tumor has
invaded nearby organs, such as the liver or spleen. Cancer cells have not spread
to lymph nodes or to distant organs.
- Stage IV is one of the following:
Cancer
cells have spread to more than 15 lymph nodes. Or, the tumor has invaded nearby
organs and at least 1 lymph node. Or, cancer cells have spread to distant
organs.
- Recurrent cancer: The cancer has come back (recurred) after a period of
time when it could not be detected. It may recur in the stomach or in another
part of the body.
Next: What is the treatment for stomach cancer? »
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