Understanding Clinical and Pathological Stages of Stomach Cancer

Stage is the word doctors use to communicate the size of a cancerous tumor and where and how far it has spread. The first place doctors find cancer in the body is called the primary site or primary tumor. When a cancer spreads, it has metastasized. Staging exams and tests help your doctors determine whether the cancer has spread, and if so, to what parts of the body.

There are 2 types of stages of cancer, clinical and pathological.

• The clinical stage is determined from the results of the biopsies and imaging tests. This staging system helps your doctor decide on the next steps for treatment.

• The pathological stage is determined by examining the contents removed during surgery. This gives your doctor a better idea of how your cancer has spread and which treatments are likely to help the most. Sometimes the pathological stage is higher than the clinical stage was because the tumor has spread more or in different ways than was known during clinical staging.