CS Lymph Nodes
Notes
**Note 1**: For head and neck schemes, this field includes all lymph nodes defined as Levels I-VII and Other by AJCC. The complete definitions are provided in the General Rules, Section 2. **Note 2**: For head and neck schemes, additional information about lymph nodes (size of involved nodes, extracapsular extension, levels involved, and location of involved nodes above or below the lower border of the cricoid cartilage) is coded in CS Site-Specific Factors 1, 3-9. **Note 3**: If laterality of lymph nodes is not specified, assume nodes are ipsilateral. Midline nodes are considered ipsilateral. **Note 4**: For head and neck cancers, if lymph nodes are described only as "supraclavicular", try to determine if they are in Level IV (deep to the sternocleidomastoid muscle, in the lower jugular chain) or Level V (in the posterior triangle, inferior to the transverse cervical artery) and code appropriately. If the specific level cannot be determined, consider them as Level V nodes. **Note 5**: The description of lymph nodes has been standardized across the head and neck schemas. All lymph node levels and groups listed here are considered regional nodes for AJCC staging. Summary Stage 1977 and Summary Stage 2000 divide these nodes into regional and distant groups.| Code | Description | AJCC 7 N | TNM 6 N | Summary Stage 1977 N | Summary Stage 2000 N |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 000 | No regional lymph node involvement | NA | NA | NONE | NONE |
| 100 | Single positive ipsilateral regional node: Level I: Level IA node - Submental Level IB - Submandibular (submaxillary), sublingual Level II - Upper jugular: Jugulodigastric (subdigastric) Upper deep cervical Level IIA - Anterior Level IIB - Posterior Retropharyngeal Cervical , NOS Deep cervical, NOS Internal jugular, NOS Regional lymph node, NOS |
NA | NA | RN | RN |
| 120 | Single positive ipsilateral regional node: Level III - Middle jugular: Middle deep cervical Level IV - Lower jugular: Jugulo-omohyoid (supraomohyoid) Lower deep cervical Level V - Posterior triangle group: Level VA - Spinal accessory Level VB - Transverse cervical, supraclavicular (see Note 4) Level VI - Anterior compartment group: Laterotracheal Paralaryngeal Paratracheal - above suprasternal notch Perithyroidal Precricoid (Delphian) Prelaryngeal Pretracheal - above suprasternal notch Recurrent laryngeal Level VII - Superior mediastinal group (for other mediastinal nodes see CS Mets at DX): Esophageal groove Paratracheal - below suprasternal notch Other groups: Facial : Buccinator (buccal) Mandibular Nasolabial Parotid : Infraauricular Intraparotid Periparotid Preparotid Parapharyngeal Retroauricular (mastoid) Suboccipital |
NA | NA | D | D |
| 800 | Lymph nodes, NOS | NA | NA | RN | RN |
| 999 | Unknown; regional lymph nodes not stated Regional lymph nodes cannot be assessed Not documented in patient record |
NA | NA | U | U |