AJCC Staging System

The AJCC Staging System, developed by the American Joint Committee on Cancer, is a standardized way to describe how advanced a cancer is. It uses a combination of three main factors: the size and extent of the tumor (T), whether cancer has spread to nearby lymph nodes (N), and whether it has metastasized to distant parts of the body (M). Each factor is scored, and the results are combined to determine an overall stage, typically ranging from Stage 0 (in situ) to Stage IV (advanced). This system helps doctors decide on the best treatment and predict outcomes.