title: Current melanoma staging.
abstract: American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC), TNM staging, represents the cornerstone of management for cutaneous melanoma. This staging system groups patients with similar prognoses and has important implications in optimizing management and treatment and conducting better clinical trials. T describes the extent of the primary tumor, N the extent of regional lymph node metastases, and M the extent of distant metastases. The AJCC staging system for cutaneous melanoma underwent significant revision in 2002. The revised, current AJCC staging system and the TNM classification are detailed in this review.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University of Michigan Health System and Comprehensive Cancer Center, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
authors.forename: Anastasia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Petro
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schwartz
authors.forename: Timothy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Johnson
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000473:pathology; D008545:Melanoma / Q000145:classification / Q000473:pathology* / Q000556:secondary; D009367:Neoplasm Staging / Q000379:methods*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000145:classification / Q000473:pathology*; D014481:United States