Re: Reimagining Cancer Staging in the Era of Evolutionary Oncology

摘要: We read with interest the article by Kirtane et al, 1 in which the authors advocate for a reimagined cancer staging system that includes specific elements such as growth dynamics, biomarkers to predict response to therapy, assessment of the immune microenvironment, and utilization of mathematical and physical models to develop a reference for each patient. The American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) shares some of the aspirations for such a dynamic staging system. Indeed, since its inception in 1959, AJCC cancer staging systems have been dynamic. Examples include incorporation of cancer-specific and data-driven approaches that inform refinements to staging categories, integration of neoadjuvant therapy (eg, AJCC “yp”), validated clinical molecular markers, and digital distribution of AJCC staging information. 2 AJCC remains true to its primary and foundational purpose to standardize the language …