Stomach Cancer, Stages, and How to Identify Them

After a cancer is diagnosed, regardless of the type or location, doctors will proceed with the staging (or stage determination) process by which they will try to find out if cancer has spread and if so, how far.

There are staging systems such as TNM (size and extent, lymph node spread, and metastatic cancer) used for different types of cancer. Although there are also specific systems for a given type of cancer, both general and specific staging include information about: 

• The location of the tumor in the body
• The type of cells
• The size of the tumor
• Spread to nearby lymph nodes or lymph nodes
• Spread to a different part of the body (metastasis)

For many cancers, TNM combinations are classified into five less-detailed stages:

• Stage 0 (carcinoma in situ): abnormal cells are present, but have not spread to nearby tissue.
• Stage I, II, and III: Cancer is present. The higher the number, the bigger the tumor size, extension, and dissemination.
• Stage IV: Cancer present, spread to distant parts of the body. 

These estimates of the extent of cancer are based on the results of medical tests such as X-rays, CT scans, MRI scans, and tumor biopsies. In some types of cancer, the results of other tests like blood tests, endoscopies, and even surgery may also be performed.

Also, after treatment or any neoadjuvant therapy, staging must be performed this reclassification is added to the original classified stage but does not replace it. This process is necessary to be sure that there is no recurrence (return of cancer) or for those cases in which cancer evolves in its development, that is to say, that it advances in growth or spread without having been eliminated in its totality.