The AJCC API, developed by the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) under the American College of Surgeons (ACS), provides the most current and authoritative cancer staging content for software integration. This includes the AJCC Cancer Staging System 8th Edition and the latest Version 9 protocols, delivered primarily in an XML format.
Key Benefits for Developers and Organizations:
- Accuracy and Authority: Integrates the official, peer-reviewed content directly from the AJCC, ensuring the most accurate and up-to-date staging information is used.
- Focus on Usability: Allows software developers (e.g., for EHRs and cancer registries) to focus on the user interface and functionality of their applications rather than the complex, manual maintenance of staging content accuracy.
- Real-Time Updates: Provides a single point of integration for content, allowing applications to take advantage of upcoming content enhancements and new versions of the AJCC Staging System in real-time.
Main Features and Capabilities:
- Delivery of the AJCC TNM Cancer Staging System (8th Edition and Version 9 protocols).
- Content includes T, N, M, and stage group tables for clinical, pathological, posttherapy clinical, and posttherapy pathological staging.
- Incorporates algorithms for selecting the appropriate cancer chapter/disease schema based on primary site and histology.
- Supports EOD (Extent of Disease) tables and algorithms.
- Includes Site-Specific Data Items (SSDIs) such as biomarkers and prognostic factors required or recommended by AJCC.
- Provides a trial API environment for developer testing, typically for a single disease site (e.g., Prostate Cancer).
Target Users and Use Cases:
- Commercial Software Vendors: Licensing the API for use in Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems, Laboratory Information Systems (LIS), and other clinical software.
- Cancer Registries: Used by central cancer registries (e.g., those using Registry Plus products for NAACCR v21) to standardize and automate the collection and calculation of cancer stage data.
- Researchers: Utilizing accurate, standardized staging data for epidemiological and clinical trial research efforts.