Staging of Melanoma

The Melanoma Staging Committee of the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) was formed in 1998 and is comprised of experts from all relevant medical specialties, including many of the major melanoma centers in North America, Europe, and Australia. This committee set up the AJCC Melanoma Staging Database for the collection of prospective outcome data on melanoma patients from 13 cancer centers and cooperative groups in order to establish and subsequently revise a melanoma staging system. The staging system for melanoma has undergone multiple revisions in the last decade, reflecting the rapid and continuous acquisition of new information and advances in this field.