Clinical Staging.
Clinical staging provides an estimate of the size and extent of tumor. This is determined by physical examination and other diagnostic measures and may include laboratory tests (blood work), imaging tests (e.g., computed tomographic scan, magnetic resonance imaging), biopsy, endoscopy, or laparoscopy. Some cancers may require surgery to determine the extent of the cancer. The choice of diagnostic tests is based on the type of cancer that is being evaluated.