Stomach Cancer
Stomach cancer is also referred to as gastric cancer. Stomach cancer can form in the glandular, hormonal or immune system cells, as well as the nervous system tissues. Most diagnosed cases are glandular in root, where the cancer cells have developed in the stomach lining glands that secrete a protective layer of mucus that wards off acidic stomach juices.
Defining Prognosis
In cancer prognosis, the life expectancy is referred to as the five-year survival rate. That is, the percentage of people who live beyond five years after initial diagnosis. In stomach cancer patients, this survival rate also depends on the type and location of the cancer tumor, what stage of development it is in, how bad the cells look and the person's age. Doctors also consider how well the patient responds to treatment. They can then make a prediction as best as they can.
Early Stage Five-Year Rate
The American Cancer Society reports that the overall five-year survival rate for diagnosed stomach cancer patients is 28 percent. Stomach cancer is relatively rare and is often caught at later stages of development. For patients diagnosed at stage 0, where cancer cells are present, there is a nearly 90 percent survival rate. Stage 1A diagnosis, where the cancer has developed under the connective tissue, has a 78 percent rate, while stage 1B, where it has also spread into the lymph nodes or under the main muscle layer, has a 58 percent rate. The stage II five-year survival rate is 34 percent.
Late Stage Survival
Stage IIIA happens when the cancer has grown into the stomach lining and between seven and 15 lymph nodes; or has gone through the stomach muscles and up to six nodes; or outer layer of the stomach. Stage IIIB involves cancer that has grown through all the stomach layers and wall as well as infecting between seven and 15 nodes. Those survival rates are 20 percent and 8 percent, respectively. At stage IV, where cancer has metastasized to other organs, the survival rate is 7 percent.
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