References
- AJCC cancer staging manual. 7th ed. New York: Springer; 2010.3-14.
- AJCC cancer staging manual. 6th ed. New York: Springer; 2002.89-164.
- AJCC cancer staging manual. 7th ed. New York: Springer; 2010.235-249.
The tumor node metastasis (TNM) system, which was developed by the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC), is the most practical cancer staging system available. The AJCC TNM staging has been modified periodically in response to newly acquired clinical information and data on prognosis. The seventh edition of this system was published in late 2009 and the manual is effective for cancers diagnosed during or after 2010. There are 9 new classifications, 6 major modifications, elimination of cMX (metastasis cannot be assessed clinically), and there is an introduction to anatomical stages and prognostic groupings. But, compared to the