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Colon cancer is staged according to the extent of the disease's spread. There are five main stages (Stage 0, I, II, III, IV), and some of these stages are divided into sub-stages. The stages of colon cancer are as follows:
Stage 0: Carcinoma in Situ
In this stage, abnormal or pre-cancerous cells are found only in the innermost layer of the colon wall (mucosa) and have not spread to deeper tissues.
Stage I:
Cancer has spread to the inner layers of the colon wall (submucosa or muscularis propria) but has not spread to lymph nodes or distant organs.
Stage II:
Cancer has spread to deeper tissues along the colon wall but has not spread to nearby lymph nodes or distant regions. This stage is divided into sub-stages based on how deeply the tumor has invaded the bowel wall:
Stage IIA: Cancer has reached the outer layers of the colon wall (subserosa) but has not completely penetrated the wall.
Stage IIB: Cancer has completely penetrated the colon wall and spread to surrounding tissue, but there is no invasion of nearby organs.
Stage IIC: Cancer has penetrated the colon wall and spread directly to nearby organs (e.g., bladder, uterus).
Stage III:
Colon cancer has spread to nearby lymph nodes but has not metastasized to distant organs. This stage is divided into sub-stages based on the degree of tumor invasion in the bowel wall and the number of affected lymph nodes:
Stage IIIA: The tumor has spread to the superficial or middle layers of the colon wall and has affected 1 to 4 regional lymph nodes.
Stage IIIB: The tumor has spread to the outer layers of the colon wall or surrounding tissues and has affected 1 to 4 regional lymph nodes; or the tumor has spread to any depth of the colon wall and has affected 5 or more regional lymph nodes.
Stage IIIC: The tumor has completely penetrated the colon wall, may have spread to nearby organs, and has affected 5 or more regional lymph nodes.
Stage IV:
Colon cancer has metastasized to other parts of the body such as the liver, lungs, ovaries, or distant lymph nodes.
Stage IVA: Cancer has spread to a single distant organ such as the liver or lung, or to a group of distant lymph nodes.
Stage IVB: Cancer has spread to more than one distant organ or more than one region of distant lymph nodes.
Stage IVC: Cancer has spread to the peritoneum (lining of the abdomen) and may also have spread to distant organs or lymph nodes.
What are the Stages of Colon (Bowel) Cancer?
Stage 0: Carcinoma in Situ
In this stage, abnormal or pre-cancerous cells are found only in the innermost layer of the colon wall (mucosa) and have not spread to deeper tissues.
Stage I:
Cancer has spread to the inner layers of the colon wall (submucosa or muscularis propria) but has not spread to lymph nodes or distant organs.
Stage II:
Cancer has spread to deeper tissues along the colon wall but has not spread to nearby lymph nodes or distant regions. This stage is divided into sub-stages based on how deeply the tumor has invaded the bowel wall:
Stage IIA: Cancer has reached the outer layers of the colon wall (subserosa) but has not completely penetrated the wall.
Stage IIB: Cancer has completely penetrated the colon wall and spread to surrounding tissue, but there is no invasion of nearby organs.
Stage IIC: Cancer has penetrated the colon wall and spread directly to nearby organs (e.g., bladder, uterus).
Stage III:
Colon cancer has spread to nearby lymph nodes but has not metastasized to distant organs. This stage is divided into sub-stages based on the degree of tumor invasion in the bowel wall and the number of affected lymph nodes:
Stage IIIA: The tumor has spread to the superficial or middle layers of the colon wall and has affected 1 to 4 regional lymph nodes.
Stage IIIB: The tumor has spread to the outer layers of the colon wall or surrounding tissues and has affected 1 to 4 regional lymph nodes; or the tumor has spread to any depth of the colon wall and has affected 5 or more regional lymph nodes.
Stage IIIC: The tumor has completely penetrated the colon wall, may have spread to nearby organs, and has affected 5 or more regional lymph nodes.
Stage IV:
Colon cancer has metastasized to other parts of the body such as the liver, lungs, ovaries, or distant lymph nodes.
Stage IVA: Cancer has spread to a single distant organ such as the liver or lung, or to a group of distant lymph nodes.
Stage IVB: Cancer has spread to more than one distant organ or more than one region of distant lymph nodes.
Stage IVC: Cancer has spread to the peritoneum (lining of the abdomen) and may also have spread to distant organs or lymph nodes.