Staging
Staging is a process that tells a doctor if a cancer has spread and if it has, how far. Staging for small intestine cancer depends on the depth of invasion into the wall of the intestine and whether the cancer has spread to lymph nodes, nearby structures, or distant organs.
Stage 0

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Description
- "Carcinoma in situ." Abnormal, but non-invasive cells are found in the inner lining of the small intestine.
Stage I

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Description
- Cancer has spread into the inner or middle layers of the small intestine.
Stage IIa

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Description
- Cancer has spread to the outer wall of the small intestine.
Stage IIb

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Description
- Cancer has grown through the wall of the small intestine and may have invaded adjacent organs and structures.
Stage IIIa

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Description
- Cancer has spread to 1-3 nearby regional lymph nodes.
Stage IIIb

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Description
- Cancer has spread to 4 or more nearby regional lymph nodes.
Stage IV

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Description
- Cancer has spread to distant organs or parts of the body.