Stage 0: Cancer has not spread below the top layer of stomach tissue.

Stage IA: The cancer has spread under the epithelium (the first layer of skin lining the stomach) into one or more of the underlying layers, the lamina propria, muscularis mucosae or the submucosa. It has not grown into the main muscle layer of the stomach, which is called the muscularis propria. The cancer has not spread to any lymph nodes.

Stage IB: The cancer has spread into the main muscle layer of the stomach wall and may have spread into but not beyond the subserosa (outermost layer of the stomach). It has not spread to any nearby tissues or organs and has not spread to any lymph nodes.

Or the cancer has spread under the epithelium but it has not grown into the main muscle layer of the stomach. It has spread to one to six lymph nodes near the stomach.

Stage II: The cancer has spread beyond the epithelium but it has not grown into the main muscle layer of the stomach. It has spread to seven to 15 lymph nodes near the stomach.

Or the cancer has spread into the main muscle layer of the stomach wall and may have spread into but not beyond the outermost layer of the stomach. It has not spread to nearby tissues or organs. It has spread to one to six lymph nodes near the stomach.

Or the cancer has spread completely through the main muscle layer of the stomach wall and the outermost layer of the stomach, but has not spread to any nearby tissues or organs. It has not spread to any lymph nodes.

Stage IIIA: The cancer has spread into the main muscle layer of the stomach wall, the muscularis propria, and may have spread into, but not beyond, the stomach's outermost layer. It has spread to between seven and 15 lymph nodes near the stomach, and has not spread to any other tissues or organs.

Or the cancer has spread completely throughout the muscularis propria and may have spread to, but not beyond, the subserosa. It has spread to between one and six nearby lymph nodes, and has not spread to any other tissues or organs.

Or the cancer has spread completely throughout the muscularis propria and the subserosa and into nearby organs, but it has not spread into any lymph nodes.

Stage IIIB: The cancer has spread completely throughout the muscularis propria and subserosa, and has spread to between seven and 15 nearby lymph nodes. It has not spread to any other tissues or organs.

Stage IV: The cancer has spread completely through the stomach wall into nearby organs. It has spread to between one and six lymph nodes.

Or the cancer has spread underneath the epithelium into the lamia propria, muscularis mucosae or the submucosa, but has not hit the muscularis propria. It has spread to more than 15 nearby lymph nodes.

Or the cancer has spread into the muscularis propria and may have spread into, but not beyond, the subserosa. It has spread into more than 15 nearby lymph nodes, but has not spread to any other tissues or organs.

Or the cancer has spread completely throughout the muscularis propria and the subserosa. It has spread to more than 15 nearby lymph nodes, but has not spread to any other tissues or organs.

Or the cancer has spread through the stomach wall into nearby organs. It has spread to between seven and 15 nearby lymph nodes.

Or the cancer has spread through the stomach wall into nearby organs and more than 15 lymph nodes. Or the cancer has spread, to any extent, within the stomach and lymph nodes, and has spread throughout the lymphatic system or blood stream to distant organs.