AJCC staging
Also written as: AJCC — American Joint Committee on Cancer
American Joint Committee on Cancer staging system - the gold standard for cancer staging and prognosis.
Full Definition
American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging is a classification system that describes the extent of cancer in a patient's body using TNM parameters (Tumor, Node, Metastasis). The AJCC Cancer Staging Manual, currently in its 8th edition, provides detailed criteria for staging different cancer types and is considered the international gold standard. In oncology informatics, AJCC staging data must be accurately captured, coded, and transmitted between systems. The staging information directly impacts treatment decisions, prognosis, and quality metrics, making data quality critical for patient care and research.
Usage
Usage note: Always specify edition number when referencing specific criteria (e.g., 'AJCC 8th edition'). Use 'AJCC staging' rather than 'AJCC stage'.
In Context
- "The pathology report indicated AJCC staging T2N1M0, corresponding to Stage IIIA disease." — Clinical documentation
- "Data validation rules ensure AJCC staging elements are complete before case abstraction." — Registry procedures manual