Improvements in the staging of cutaneous squamous-cell carcinoma in the 7th edition of the AJCC Cancer Staging Manual.

摘要

The 7th edition of the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) Cancer Staging Manual includes important improvements to the staging of cutaneous squamous-cell carcinoma (cSCC). In all previous AJCC manuals, cSCC has been staged along with approximately 80 other non-melanoma skin cancers (NMSC). As a result of the diversity in biology and prognosis within the group of NMSC, the previous staging system was irrelevant in staging any particular cutaneous carcinoma with regard to prognosis. The 7th edition features a marked improvement: the NMSC was divided into two chapters. Merkel-cell carcinoma is staged separately in its own chapter, and a new chapter, entitled "Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma and Other Cutaneous Carcinomas," was based on evidence-based medicine for cSCC. Other NMSC, excluding Merkel-cell carcinoma, will be staged according to the cSCC guidelines. The development of the cSCC chapter was led by Dr. Nanette Liegeois under the auspice of Dr. Arthur Sober, chair of the NMSC committee.