How is the Global Consensus for the UICC TNM Classification maintained?
The TNM International Expert Panels:
- Represent over 20 countries worldwide.
- Have multidisciplinary members, including surgery, radiation oncology, medical oncology, pathology and haematology.
- Correspond to the chapters of the TNM Classification, including head and neck, lower and upper gastrointestinal, lung, sarcoma and bone, skin, breast, gynaecologic, genitourinary, lymphoma, and neuroendocrine cancers.
- Members are invited to participate and are recognized experts in their cancer site(s).
The responsibilities of an Expert Panel member include the following activities:
- Review abstracts retrieved through the TNM Literature Watch, the annual review of the scientific literature related to cancer staging.
- Review formal proposals for changes to the TNM Classification.
- Provide expert opinion on TNM queries.
- Be ambassadors for the TMM Classification.
A list of current and past Expert Panels members can be downloaded in the right hand column.
The TNM Global Advisory Group
What is the Global Advisory Group?
The TNM Global Advisory Group is a network of multidisciplinary national or regional TNM committees which serve as TNM envoys, promoting, disseminating and educating in the use of the classification. These groups can also provide input to the annual literature review by providing national publications and non-English language articles for consideration as well as reviewing the outputs of the literature review when requested, providing evidence-based expert opinion on the development and enhancement of staging and prognostic factors classification. We also encourage the establishment of local language help desk functions to augment the global service provided via the UICC website.
The current Global Advisory Group is composed of representatives from all WHO regions.
National committees on cancer staging:
- Have multidisciplinary representation including medical, radiation, and surgical oncology, pathology, cancer registry, epidemiology, and statistics;
- Develop a process for regular interaction (through face to face meetings or teleconferences) and discussion to meet the needs of its constituency;
- Represent the national/regional organisations on appropriate national and international cancer staging committees;
- Be a member of the UICC TNM Project Global Advisory Group and provide an annual report on their activities;
- Act as a conduit for proposals for changes to the TNM classification using accepted premises supported by the international scientific community and the UICC.