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Images of Pancreatic Cancer Stages

Stage 0 (Carcinoma in Situ)

Pea, peanut, walnut, and lime show tumor sizes.

Tumor size compared to everyday objects; shows various measurements of a tumor compared to a pea, peanut, walnut, and lime

Stage I

In stage IA, the tumor is 2 centimeters or smaller. In stage IB, the tumor is larger than 2 centimeters.

Stage I pancreatic cancer; drawing on the left shows that stage IA pancreatic cancer is smaller than 2 centimeters. The drawing on the right shows that stage IB pancreatic cancer is larger than 2 centimeters. An inset shows that a 2 centimeter tumor is about the size of a peanut. The duodenum is also shown.

Stage II

In stage IIA, cancer has spread to nearby tissue and organs but has not spread to nearby lymph nodes. In stage IIB, cancer has spread to nearby lymph nodes and may have spread to nearby tissue and organs. 

Stage IIA pancreatic cancer; drawing shows cancer in the pancreas and duodenum. The bile duct and pancreatic duct are also shown.

Stage IIB pancreatic cancer; drawing shows cancer in the pancreas and in nearby lymph nodes. Also shown are the bile duct, pancreatic duct, and duodenum.

Stage III

Cancer has spread to the major blood vessels near the pancreas. These include the superior mesenteric artery, celiac axis, common hepatic artery, and portal vein. Cancer may have spread to nearby lymph nodes.

Stage III pancreatic cancer; drawing shows cancer in the pancreas, common hepatic artery, and portal vein. Also shown are the celiac axis (trunk), bile duct, pancreatic duct, duodenum, and superior mesenteric artery.

Stage IV

Cancer may be any size and has spread to distant organs, such as the lung, liver, and peritoneal cavity (the space in the abdomen that contains the intestines, stomach, and liver). Cancer may also have spread to tissue and organs near the pancreas or to lymph nodes.

Stage IV pancreatic cancer; drawing shows cancer has spread beyond the pancreas. Inset shows cancer spreading through the blood and lymph nodes to the lung, liver, peritoneal cavity, and other parts of the body.

 

Adapted from the National Cancer Institute’s Physician Data Query (PDQ(r)) Cancer Information Summaries (http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq). Date last modified: April 2, 2015

For more information:

Go to the Pancreatic Cancer health topic.

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