1977年，美国癌症联合委员会（AJCC）推出了首部癌症分期手册，实施了T（肿瘤范围）、N（区域淋巴结状态）和M（是否存在远处转移）分期系统。这种系统方法旨在传达各种癌症类型的疾病程度，为临床医生提供一个实用的框架来规划治疗策略、预测预后和评估结果。自 2018 年 1 月 1 日起生效的第 8 版 AJCC 延续了这一传统。然而，根据临床经验发现，AJCC 第 8 版仍然存在某些缺陷。具体而言，准确评估口腔鳞状细胞癌（例如口腔疣状癌、爪形癌和乳头状鳞状细胞癌）和小唾液腺肿瘤的独特组织学变异的浸润深度面临挑战。此外，对骨侵犯模式的认知和报告实践也存在差异。还需要恶性牙源性肿瘤和口腔多灶性肿瘤的分期指南，并辅以图示。最后，需要制定耳癌、外耳道癌和颞骨癌的综合分期标准。我们主张将这些考虑因素纳入 AJCC 癌症分期手册的未来版本中。© 2024。作者获得 Springer Science Business Media, LLC（Springer Nature 旗下公司）的独家许可。

In 1977, the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) introduced the inaugural Cancer Staging Manual, which implemented the T (tumor extent), N (regional lymph node status), and M (presence or absence of distant metastasis) staging system. This systematic approach aimed to convey the extent of disease across various cancer types, providing clinicians with a practical framework to plan treatment strategies, predict prognosis, and assess outcomes. The AJCC 8th edition, effective from January 1, 2018, continues this tradition. However, certain shortcomings persist in the AJCC 8th edition, as identified through clinical experience. Specifically, challenges arise in accurately assessing depth of invasion in unique histological variants of oral squamous cell carcinoma (e.g., Oral verrucous carcinoma, Carcinoma cuniculatum, and Papillary squamous cell carcinoma) and minor salivary gland tumors. Additionally, discrepancies exist in the perception of bone invasion patterns and in reporting practices. There is also a need for staging guidelines for malignant odontogenic tumors and multifocal tumors of the oral cavity, supplemented by diagrammatic representations. Lastly, there is a call for comprehensive staging criteria for carcinomas of the ear, external auditory canal, and temporal bone. We advocate for the inclusion of these considerations in future editions of the AJCC Cancer Staging Manual.© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.