Stomach Cancer
(Gastric Cancer) (con't)
Overview of Stomach Cancer
Cancer of the stomach, also called gastric cancer or gastric carcinoma, is a disease in which cancer (malignant) cells are found in the tissues of the stomach. Stomach cancer can develop in any part of the stomach and may spread throughout the stomach and to other organs. It may grow along the stomach wall into the esophagus or small intestine.
Types of Stomach Cancer:
- adenocarcinoma - the most common type.
- scirrhous carcinoma or linitis plastica - a subtype of adenocarcinoma in which the cancer cells infiltrate the stomach wall and cause it to become hard and leatherlike
- signet ring cell
- mucinous adenocarcinoma
- papillary adenocarcinoma
- adenosquamous carcinoma
- squamous cell carcinoma
- mixed adeno- and choriocarcinoma
- gastric lymphoma
- gastric leiomyosarcoma
- gastric carcinoid
- gastric plasmacytoma
Stages of Cancer of the Stomach:
Stage 0
Stage 0 stomach cancer is very early cancer. Cancer is found only in the innermost layer of the stomach wall.
Stage I
Stage I (stage 1) stomach cancer is in the second or third layers of the stomach wall and has not spread to lymph nodes near the cancer or is in the second layer of the stomach wall and has spread to lymph nodes very close to the tumor.
Stage II
In stage II (stage 2) stomach cancer, any of the following may be true:
- Cancer is in the second layer of the stomach wall and has spread to lymph nodes further away from the tumor.
- Cancer is only in the muscle layer (the third layer) of the stomach and has spread to lymph nodes very close to the tumor.
- Cancer is in all four layers of the stomach wall but has not spread to lymph nodes or other organs.
Stage III
In stage III (stage 3) stomach cancer, any of the following may be true:
- Cancer is in the third layer of the stomach wall and has spread to lymph nodes further away from the tumor.
- Cancer is in all four layers of the stomach wall and has spread to lymph nodes either very close to the tumor or further away from the tumor.
- Cancer is in all four layers of the stomach wall and has spread to nearby tissues. The cancer may or may not have spread to lymph nodes very close to the tumor.
Stage IV
Stage IV (stage 4) stomach cancer has spread to nearby tissues and to lymph nodes further away from the tumor or has spread to other parts of the body.
Recurrent or Metastatic
Recurrent stomach cancer indicates that the cancer has come back (recurred) after it has been treated. Metastatic stomach cancer means the cancer has spread to another part of the body such as the liver or lymph nodes.
Grades of Stomach Cancer:
Grade indicates how quickly or slowly cancer cells grow. The grade is determined by the appearance of the cells under the microscope. Tumors are graded on a scale of 1 to 3.
Grade 1 - cells look most like normal tissue (called well differentiated). Grade 1 cancers grow and spread somewhat slowly.
Grade 2 - cells look somewhat like normal tissue (called moderately well differentiated). Grade 2 cancers grow and spread quickly.
Grade 3 - cells appear very abnormal (called poorly differentiated or undifferentiated). Grade 3 cancers grow and spread very quickly. They are considered "aggressive."
