This image depicts colon cancer staging starting with a benign poylp in the large intestine (colon).
Stage 0 shows only the innermost layer, or mucosa, of the colon infiltrated by cancer.
Stage I (Dukes A), cancer has spread to the connective tissue submucosa.
Stage II (Dukes B), cancer has invaded the muscular layer of the colon.
Stage III (Dukes C), the cancer has spread through the wall of the colon into nearby lymph nodes.
Stage IV, the cancer has metastasized or spread throughout the body.
A cancerous poylp is called an adenoma.