The American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) established the way cancer is communicated. Clinicians and the surveillance community count on the AJCC for the most comprehensive anatomic staging data available, the Cancer Staging Manual and Cancer Staging Atlas. These AJCC publications are recognized as the authoritative guides for cancer staging information and are used by tens of thousands of medical professionals everyday. Evidence-based anatomic staging continues to be the critical factor to understanding cancer and treating patients. New breakthroughs in oncologic, radiologic, pathologic and molecular science are opening up ever-more promising possibilities for precisely defining a prognosis and recommending a treatment based on a patient’s individual data. That’s why, as the science of cancer continues to advance, so will the impact of the AJCC. In this time when cancer science is evolving at a faster and faster pace, the AJCC’s central role as the preeminent source of cancer staging information has never been more crucial to the clinical, surveillance, research and patient advocate communities. It is with this obligation in mind that the AJCC will continue to harness the energy of hundreds of dedicated volunteers at the forefront of the fight against cancer in a collaborative, focused and unwavering effort to improve the care of every cancer patient.