Which organization developed and maintains the TNM staging system?

The TNM staging system, which stands for Tumor, Node, Metastasis, is developed and maintained by the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC). This classification system is crucial for oncologists and healthcare professionals as it provides a standardized way to describe the extent of cancer in a patient.

The AJCC updates and revises the TNM system periodically to reflect advances in cancer research and treatment approaches, ensuring that it remains a relevant and accurate tool for staging cancers. This system helps in determining the prognosis of patients, planning treatment strategies, and facilitating communication among healthcare providers.

Other organizations mentioned, such as the SEER Program, NPCR, and NAACCR, play important roles in cancer data collection, surveillance, and registry operations but do not maintain the TNM staging system itself. Therefore, the choice of AJCC as the organization responsible for the TNM system is well-founded based on its specific focus on cancer staging as part of its mission to improve cancer care and research.