After cancer is first diagnosed, a series of tests are used to investigate the extent of the cancer and to see whether it has spread to other parts of the body from where it started. Staging is a way of recording the size and growth of a cancer, and determining the plan for treatment.
- Stage 0. Abnormal cells are found only in the inner layer of tissue lining the esophagus; also called carcinoma in situ.
- Stage I. The cancer has grown through the inner layer of tissue to the next layer in the wall of the esophagus.
- Stage II. One of the following, divided into IIA and IIB.
- IIA: Cancer has spread to the layer of esophageal muscle or outer wall of the esophagus.
- IIB: Cancer may have spread to any of the first three layers of the esophagus and to the nearby lymph nodes.
- Stage III. Cancer has spread to the outer wall of the esophagus and may have spread to tissues or lymph nodes near the esophagus.
- Stage IV. One of the following, divided into IVA and IVB.
- IVA: Cancer has spread to nearby or distant lymph nodes.
- IVB: Cancer has spread to distant lymph nodes and/or organs in other parts of the body.
A Penn Medicine oncologist can answer any questions about the stages of cancer and what it might mean regarding prognosis and treatment.