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If stomach cancer spreads

  1. Home
  2. Cancer information
  3. Cancer types
  4. Stomach
  5. If cancer spreads
Print
Last medical review:

Cancer cells can spread from the stomach to other parts of the body. This spread is called metastasis.

Understanding how a type of cancer usually grows and spreads helps your healthcare team plan your treatment and future care. If stomach cancer spreads, it can spread to the:

  • lymph nodes around the stomach or in other places in the abdomen
  • spleen
  • pancreas
  • small intestine
  • colon
  • liver
  • lung
  • esophagus
  • kidney
  • adrenal gland
  • diaphragm
  • wall of the abdomen
  • back of the abdomen (retroperitoneum)
  • peritoneal cavity
  • omentum
  • brain

Expert review and references

  • Ashley Stueck, MD, FRCPC
  • American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). Cancer.Net: Stomach Cancer. 2020.
  • Avital I, Nissan A, Golan T, Lawrence YL, Stojadinovic A. Cancer of the stomach. DeVita VT Jr, Lawrence TS, Rosenberg SA, eds. DeVita, Hellman, and Rosenberg's Cancer: Principles & Practice of Oncology. 11th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer; 2018: 53:762–796.
  • National Comprehensive Cancer Network. NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology: Gastric Cancer (Version 1.2019). https://www.nccn.org/home.
  • National Cancer Institute. Gastric Cancer Treatment (PDQ®)–Health Professional Version. National Institutes of Health; 2018. https://www.cancer.gov/.

Medical disclaimer

The information that the Canadian Cancer Society provides does not replace your relationship with your doctor. The information is for your general use, so be sure to talk to a qualified healthcare professional before making medical decisions or if you have questions about your health.

We do our best to make sure that the information we provide is accurate and reliable but cannot guarantee that it is error-free or complete.

The Canadian Cancer Society is not responsible for the quality of the information or services provided by other organizations and mentioned on cancer.ca, nor do we endorse any service, product, treatment or therapy.

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