Comment: Conflicts in Classification Schemas

Abstract

In contemporary medicine fortunately, the purpose of clinical taxonomy is not merely to classify. The classification must have a purposeful significance in prognosis and therapy."³² Interest in classification of cancers has occupied the attention of oncologists in numerous disciplines for decades. Awareness of the confusion created by the lack of agreement on categories and criteria in reporting end results has led to the formation of international and national committees to solve the problem of establishing meaningful phraseology. Since 1950, the UICC¹has devoted special attention to the problem of clinical stage classification of malignant tumors. A parallel effort by the American Joint Committee for Cancer Staging and End Results Reporting has also been organized.²More than half of the common malignancies have now been staged. Despite greater uniformity in nomenclature by virtue of acceptance of a TNM system of classification, a divergence of criteria exist as to