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Review
. 2019 Apr 17;21(6):52.
doi: 10.1007/s11912-019-0799-x.

Changes in the 8th Edition of the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) Staging of Head and Neck Cancer: Rationale and Implications

Daniella Karassawa Zanoni  1 , Snehal G Patel  1 , Jatin P Shah  2
Affiliations
Review

Changes in the 8th Edition of the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) Staging of Head and Neck Cancer: Rationale and Implications

Daniella Karassawa Zanoni et al. Curr Oncol Rep. .

Abstract

Purpose of review: The objectives of this article are to review the major changes in the staging of head and neck cancers and the rationale for the modifications.

Recent findings: Information gathered from various institutional reports lead to a better understanding of the clinical and biological behavior of head and neck tumors, resulting in distinct outcomes, which were used to update the staging system. This article reviews the changes in the staging of head and neck cancers published in the 8th edition of the AJCC/UICC TNM staging system.

Keywords: HPV-related oropharyngeal cancer; Head and neck cancer; Squamous cell carcinoma; TNM staging; Thyroid cancer.

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References

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    1. (UICC), T.U.f.I.C.C. TNM History, Evolution and Milestones. 2017; Available from: https://www.uicc.org/sites/main/files/atoms/files/TNM_History_updated_Ju....
    1. Amin MB, E.S., Greene FL, et al., eds, AJCC Cancer Staging Manual. 8th ed. Springer International Publishing: American Joint Commission on Cancer; 2017, New York.

    1. Lydiatt WM, et al., Head and Neck cancers-major changes in the American Joint Committee on cancer eighth edition cancer staging manual. CA Cancer J Clin, 2017. 67(2): p. 122–137.

      This article describes the most significant modifications of the staging system.

    1. Ebrahimi A, et al., Primary tumor staging for oral cancer and a proposed modification incorporating depth of invasion: an international multicenter retrospective study. JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg, 2014. 140(12): p. 1138–48.

      This retrospective study included a large cohort of oral cancer patients from multiple centers in the world and identified optimal cutpoints for depth of invasion. The models that were evaluated in this study were used to define the changes in the T category of the AJCC 8th edition.

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