Utilizing the Tumor-Node-Metastasis Staging for Prostate Cancer: The Sixth Edition, 2002

Abstract

The Sixth Edition of the tumor-node-metastasis staging system for prostate cancer attempts to provide a helpful staging paradigm for clinicians. Accurate staging is critical not only for managing individual patients, but also for ascertaining trends in disease pattern in a large population of patients with prostate cancer. Several modifications have been made in an attempt to improve the cohesiveness and uniformity of patient evaluation and to aid in future meaningful clinical research. As data are accumulated and analysis continues, ongoing critical evaluation of this staging system will undoubtedly incorporate new evidence-based factors and bring about future refinements to prostate cancer staging. ? American Cancer Society, Inc., 2008.