Harmonization Framework for Translating Clinical Cancer Staging Systems for Public Health and Surveillance Use in Low‐ and Middle‐Income Countries: Validation Using Indian Cancer Registry Data

Abstract

Although accurate information on cancer stage at diagnosis is critical for surveillance, cancer registries in low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMICs) report incomplete stage data. The use of multiple stage classification systems—UICC/AJCC‐TNM‐system, SEER‐Summary‐Stage (SSS), Essential‐TNM (ETNM), and Condensed‐TNM (CTNM) complicates their utility and interoperability. The lack of a unified framework for translating between their categories limits data harmonization for global epidemiological analyses.