WASHINGTON--CAP President Qihui “Jim” Zhai, MD, FCAP, released the following joint statement with the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC).
“Effective January 1, 2026, all Salivary Gland and HPV Associated Oropharyngeal Carcinomas are to be staged using the AJCC Version 9 protocols. However, because the corresponding CAP Cancer Protocols will not be released until March 2026, pathology reports issued prior to that date may continue to reference AJCC 8th Edition. Clinical teams should base staging on the relevant AJCC Version 9 clinical and pathological elements.”
For questions regarding AJCC Version 9 staging, please contact AJCC at ajcc@facs.org.
For questions regarding CAP Cancer Protocols, please contact cancerprotocols@cap.org.
- American Joint Committee on Cancer and the College of American Pathologists