LOINC long common name : SEER summary stage 1977 Cancer;
LOINC short name : SEER SS1977 Cancer;
LOINC description : Code for summary stage at the initial diagnosis or treatment of the reportable tumor.
This has traditionally been used by central registries to monitor time trends. For
hospital registries, COC requires its use in the absence of a defined AJCC classification.
For site-specific definitions of categories, see the SEER Summary Staging Guide. SEER
Summary Stage 1977 is limited to information available within 2 months of the date
of diagnosis. NAACCR approved extension of this time period to 4 months for prostate
tumors diagnosed beginning January 1, 1995. Stage information is important when evaluating
the effects of cancer control programs. It is crucial for understanding whether changes
over time in incidence rates or outcomes are due to earlier detection of the cancers.
In addition, cancer treatment cannot be studied without knowing the stage at diagnosis.
To study historical trends in stage, the coding system must be relatively unchanged
(stable) over time. AJCC's TNM system is updated periodically to maintain clinical
relevance with changes in diagnosis and treatment. The surveillance registries often
rely on the Summary Stage, which they consider to be more stable. Summary Stage has
been in widespread use, either as the primary staging scheme or a secondary scheme,
in most central and hospital registries since 1977... NAACCR Data Standards and Data
Dictionary Version 11;