Revised FIGO staging of cervical cancer

Abstract

Cervical cancer staging remains one of the oldest staging systems for malignancies in the history of cancer. The initial professional body responsible for cervical cancer staging was the Radiological Sub-Commission of the Cancer Commission of the Health Organization of the League of Nations founded in 1928. Annual reports were published by the same commission and, in 1958, the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) became the official patron of the annual report. The FIGO Committee on Gynaecologic Cancer undertakes the responsibility to review and make recommendations to changes in the staging systems, based on available scientific information. Since the initial staging publication, there have been eight changes to the staging system for cervical cancer, with the most recent being in 2009. Thus far, most of the changes have pertained to stage I and its sub-stages.