(12.)
American Joint Committee on Cancer. Cancer Staging Manual.
As the authors mention, the focal point of this argument is the generic N classification rule set provided in the 7th edition of the AJCC Cancer Staging Manual of the
American Joint Committee on Cancer, specifically, that "lymph nodes with ITC (isolated tumor cells) only (are) generally staged as pN0," unless "disease specific rules" apply, as in melanoma.
Because the protocol portfolio has matured over the years since the publication of the first CAP cancer checklists in 19865, new protocols are often developed in response to changes in the
American Joint Committee on Cancer TNM staging manual.
(2,4) Although the term synovioma implies a benign condition, further investigations have exposed the aggressive nature of this neoplasm and eventually led to its classification as a high-grade tumor by the
American Joint Committee on Cancer. (5)
However, we notice that in the "Colon and Rectum" chapter, both in the AJCC (
American Joint Committee on Cancer) Cancer Staging Manual (3) (page 156) and AJCC Cancer Staging Handbook (4) (page 200), the RX category is absent.
The protocols were developed simultaneously with the 7th edition of the
American Joint Committee on Cancer Cancer Staging Manual and at least 1 member from each CAP-CPRP participated formally in the
American Joint Committee on Cancer task force teams.