Stages of Esophageal Cancer
Factors that determine the stage include how big the tumor is, whether cancer has spread to lymph nodes or other parts of the body, and, if so, how far. Doctors also look at which section of the esophagus contains cancer, as well as how deep the cancer has grown through the layers of the lining and wall of the esophagus:
- Mucosa (inner layer)
- Submucosa (second layer)
- Muscularis propria (third layer)
- Adventitia (outer layer)
We offer the detailed stages of esophageal cancer below, but in general we broadly classify esophageal cancer in one of three ways:
- Superficial cancer, confined to the lining of the esophagus (typically treated with endoscopic treatments or surgery)
- Local advanced. Patients with these tumors are generally treated with a combination of chemotherapy and radiation, followed by surgery
- Metastatic disease. These patients are generally treated with chemotherapy alone.
The more specific stages are:
Stages of squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus
The stages of squamous cell carcinoma include:
Stage 0 (high-grade dysplasia)
Abnormal cells form in the lining of the esophagus and may turn into cancer.
Stage I
There are 2 sub-stages in Stage I:
- Stage IA: Low grade cancer in the mucosa no spread to surrounding tissue
- Stage IB: The cancer has either of these features:
- Low grade cancer in the submucosa but no spread to nearby tissue or lymph nodes
- Higher grade cancer in the mucosa or submucosa but not spread to nearby lymph nodes
- Low grade cancer in the muscularis propria but no spread to nearby lymph nodes
Stage II
This stage has 2 sub-stages:
- Stage IIA: The cancer has either of these features:
- Low grade cancer in the adventitia but no spread to other areas, with tumor in the middle or upper region of the esophagus
- Higher grade cancer in the muscularis propria but no spread to lymph nodes
- Any grade cancer in the adventitia but no spread to other areas, with tumor in the lower esophagus or unknown location
Stage IIB: The cancer has either of these features:
- Cancer cells that grow and spread faster in the adventitia, with tumor in the upper or middle esophagus
- Cancer in the mucosa or submucosa and cancer in 1 or 2 nearby lymph nodes
Stage III
There are 2 sub-stages in this stage:
Stage IIIA: The cancer has any of these features:
- Cancer in the mucosa or submucosa and cancer in 3 to 6 nearby lymph nodes
- Cancer in the muscularis propria and 1 or 2 nearby lymph nodes
Stage IIIB: Cancer in the adventitia and 1 or 2 nearby lymph nodes
- Cancer in the muscularis propria or adventitia and 3 to 6 nearby lymph nodes
- Cancer in the muscle that divides your chest and abdomen (diaphragm), the sac that encases the heart (pericardium), or the tissue that lines the chest cavity (pleura), and no more than 2 lymph nodes
Stage IV has 2 subsets:
Stage IVA: The cancer has any of these features:
- Cancer in the pleura, diaphragm, or sac around the heart, as well as 3 to 6 nearby lymph nodes
- Cancer has spread to nearby areas such as the trachea or spine but no more than 6 lymph nodes
- Cancer in 7 or more nearby lymph nodes
Stage IVB: Cancer has spread outside the esophagus to other areas of the body.