Clinical gastric cancer staging:
- Stag 1：Also known as carcinoma in situ, the tumor is limited to the mucosal layer, with no lymph node metastasis or distant metastasis.
- Stag 2：Early gastric cancer, where the tumor has not invaded the muscular layer, with no lymph node metastasis, or only nearby first-station lymph node metastasis.
- Stag 3：The tumor invades the muscular or serous layer but does not exceed one region of the stomach (the stomach is divided into three regions: upper, middle, and lower). There is no lymph node metastasis or only nearby first-station lymph node metastasis.
- Stag 4：The tumor, regardless of size, is considered stage 3 if there is distant first-station lymph node metastasis, or nearby second-station lymph node metastasis, or if the tumor has invaded beyond the mucosal layer and exceeded one region despite nearby first-station lymph node metastasis.
- Stag 5：The tumor, regardless of size, is considered stage 4 if there is distant metastasis, or third-station lymph node metastasis around the hepatoduodenal ligament, para-aortic lymph nodes, mesentery, or around the middle colic artery.
Please note that the staging may vary depending on the tumor’s spread and the patient’s condition. The treatment plan depends on the stage of gastric cancer and the patient’s specific situation.
