Classification of gastric carcinoma.

In this review the main classification systems of gastric carcinomas are described. Besides topographical aspects, the macroscopic features of early and advanced gastric cancers are summarized. Also scanning microscopic typings, the WHO typing, and various histogenetic classifications are reviewed. The main prognostic categorizations, like the TNM classification of the UICC and the Japanese classification of lymph nodes, are described, together with their prognostic significance. Finally, the special significance of the R classification is stressed.