Search Glossary

Name

AJCC staging system

This definition applies to

All SEER websites where this term appears

Definition

A system to describe the amount and spread of cancer in a patient’s body, using TNM. T describes the size of the tumor and any spread of cancer into nearby tissue; N describes spread of cancer to nearby lymph nodes; and M describes metastasis (spread of cancer to other parts of the body). This system was created and is updated by the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) and the International Union Against Cancer (UICC). The AJCC staging system is used to describe most types of cancer.

For more information on AJCC staging, see https://cancerstaging.org

Resource

Title: National Cancer Institute
NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms

Alternate Names

American Joint Committee on Cancer Staging System

Abstractor Notes

None

Histology

None

Primary Sites

None
Glossary