by D. Vogt

Created on: August 04, 2010

Stomach cancer is a cancer which affects the cells lining the stomach, and which spreads upwards into the esophagus and the lungs, as well as to the liver and the lymph node's of the body's immune system. There are five stages of stomach cancer, based upon the American Joint Committee on Cancer's tumour-nodule-metastasis (TNM) system.

Each year, 930,000 new cases of stomach cancer are diagnosed, making it the fourth-most common cancer. There are numerous causes; most cases are associated with infection by a bacteria called Helicobacter pylori, but there are also genetic factors. People may also be at increased risk due to smoking or due to diets high in salt and preserved foods. There are often no symptoms in its early stages, apart from increased heartburn or reduced appetite. Later on, however, the disease causes stomach pain, vomiting, diarrhea or constipation, and bloody vomit or bloody stool. Worldwide, about 800,000 people are killed by stomach cancer every year, making it the deadliest cancer after lung cancer.

Like many other cancers, the stages of stomach cancer are determined by how far the disease has progressed according to criteria established by the American Joint Committee on Cancer's TNM system. In the case of stomach cancer, there are five stages. In Stage 0, a cancerous growth exists in the stomach's internal lining, but it has not spread beyond this initial tumor. In Stage I stomach cancer, it still has not spread to the rest of the body, but it has begun to invade surrounding layers of cells. A cancer may be diagnosed as Stage IB if it has spread to a single, nearby lymph node. Stage I cancer may often still be removed completely through surgery, combined with removal of suspect lymph nodes. The five-year survival rate for Stage I stomach cancer is 80%, which is why it is vital to identify the disease as early as possible.

Stage II stomach cancer is considerably more serious. According to the American Cancer Society, Stage II stomach cancer has spread to multiple nearby lymph nodes, or to the stomach muscles (but is still otherwise contained within the stomach). Surgery may still be an option for Stage II stomach cancer, combined with radiation treatment, although because the cancer is much larger the surgery must be more radical and invasive, as well. According to Cancer Research UK, the five-year survival rate for Stage II stomach cancer is 56%.

In Stage III, the cancer has either affected an even larger number of lymph nodes, or

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