Stomach Cancer Prognosis: Understanding Stages & Survival Rates

Stomach cancer affects over 20,000 Americans per year, according to the American Cancer Society. Almost half of those diagnosed die from the disease. That is why it is important to know the stages of stomach cancer and the prognosis for each stage.

Stage 0

• In Stage 0, abnormal cells are found in the innermost layer of tissue in the stomach. Prognosis for this stage of the disease is good, with an approximately 89 percent five-year survival rate.

Stage I

• Cancer is now in the innermost layer of stomach tissue or the middle layers. The five-year survival rate for this stage is 58 to 78 percent, the lower rate for patients with cancer in the middle layers of tissue.

Stage II

• Stage II stomach cancer implies that cancer is found not only in the stomach, but also in several lymph nodes. The prognosis now drops to a 34 percent five-year survival rate.

Stage III

• If the cancer is found just in the stomach or nearby organs, but fewer than six lymph nodes, the five-year survival rate is 20 percent. If the cancer is in over seven lymph nodes, the five-year survival rate decreases to eight percent.

Stage IV

• With Stage IV stomach cancer, the cancer has spread from the stomach to distant organs or more than fifteen lymph nodes. The prognosis for a five-year survival is now approximately seven percent.