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CancerQuest > Introduction to Patient Information > Introduction to Cancer by Type > Gastric Cancer: Introduction > Anatomy of the Stomach

Anatomy of the Stomach

The stomach is a sac-like organ located between the esophagus and small intestine. The stomach aids in digestion and stores food. Anatomically, the stomach has been broken down into 5 different regions: cardia, fundus, body, antrum, and pylorus (see below). The stomach is also composed of 5 different tissue layers: mucosa, submucosa, muscularis, subserosa, and serosa. The more layers a cancer invades, the worse its prognosis.⁽¹⁾

The stomach is also associated with an extensive lymphatic network. Cancer that has spread to the nearby lymphatics has a worse prognosis.⁽²⁾

Learn more about the lymphatic system.
Learn more about the lymphatic system and metastasis.

References for this page:

1. Vander, Arthur J., James H. Sherman, Dorothy S. Luciano. Human Physiology, 6th Edition. McGraw-Hill, Inc. NY, NY (1994).
2. Detailed guide to stomach cancer. American Cancer Society (accessed August 2010). [http://www.cancer.org/Cancer/StomachCancer/DetailedGuide/index]