Stage III gastric cancer ( GAS-trik KAN-ser)

Stage III is divided into stage IIIA and stage IIIB depending on where the cancer has spread. In stage IIIA, cancer has spread to (1) the muscularis (middle) layer of the stomach wall and is found in 7 to 15 lymph nodes near the tumor, or (2) the serosal (outermost) layer of the stomach wall and is found in 1 to 6 lymph nodes near the tumor, or (3) to organs next to the stomach but not to lymph nodes or other parts of the body. In stage IIIB, cancer has spread to the serosal (outermost) layer of the stomach wall and is found in 7 to 15 lymph nodes near the tumor.