The stages of stomach cancer
Stomach cancer, also known as gastric cancer, is the development of cancerous cells in the stomach lining. This disease has the factors of age, the diet a person follows, and stomach diseases as risk factors. Stomach cancer is diagnosed with the help of procedures like a physical exam of the patient, endoscopy, and biopsy of the affected tissue. The stages of stomach cancer are determined by the degree to which the cancerous cells have grown and how far cancer has spread in the stomach tissue, the lymphatic system, and to the other organs in the body. Stomach cancer is classified into five stages from 0 to 4 according to the same: Stage 0 In stage 0, there is a presence of abnormal cells in the innermost lining of the stomach wall. These abnormal cells may turn into cancer and spread to the nearby healthy tissue. This stage is called the carcinoma in situ. Stage I Stage 1 is classified into 1A and 1B: Stage 1A : At this stage, the disease has affected the innermost lining (mucosa) of the stomach wall, and the cancer cells may have spread to the submucosa, which is the adjoining layer of tissue to the mucosa. Stage 1B :