LN Status: Femoral-Inguinal
Description
This data item describes the status of femoral-inguinal lymph nodes associated with certain female genital cancers.
In addition to assigning the N categories for vulva, vagina, and cervical cancers, the collection of specific lymph nodes and how they were assessed is important.
* Status refers to positive or negative involvement
* Assessment is the method by which the nodal status was determined
There are 3 related data items that collect status information on regional lymph nodes, 1 data item for distant lymph nodes, and 1 data item for laterality.
The LN status data items collect the individual status (positive, negative, unknown) involvement of femoral-inguinal, para-aortic, and pelvic lymph nodes, and distant lymph nodes mediastinal and scalene. These related data items include
* 3957: LN Status: Pelvic
* 3958: LN Status: Para-Aortic
* 3959: LN Status: Femoral-Inguinal
* 3875: LN Distant: Mediastinal, Scalene
Rationale
Specific regional lymph node involvement is listed as a Registry Data Collection Variable in AJCC. This information was previously collected as Vulva, SSF #14 and is now collected in Vagina.
Additional Info
**Source documents:** pathology report, imaging, physical exam, other statement in record
Notes
**Note 1:** **Physician Statement**
* Physician statement of the femoral-inguinal status can be used to code this data item when no other information is available.
**Note 2:** **Lower third of vagina**
* Code this data item for the lower third of the vagina only.
* Code 9 for upper two thirds of the vagina, or unknown whether it’s the lower third or upper two thirds
**Note 3:** **Femoral-inguinal nodes**
* Femoral
* Inguinal, NOS
* Inguinofemoral (groin)
* Node of Cloquet or Rosenmuller (highest deep inguinal)
* Superficial inguinal
**Note 4:** **Isolated tumor cells**
* For this data item, do not include isolated tumor cells (ITCs).
**Note 5:** **Related data item**
* The assessment method is recorded in the related data item 3871: LN Assessment Method Femoral-Inguinal.
Coding Guidelines
**1)** Code this data item for the **lower third of the vagina** only.
**2)** **Code 0** when
* **a.** Non-invasive neoplasm (behavior /2) (in-situ)
* **b.** All lymph nodes are negative and included an assessment of the femoral-inguinal lymph nodes
* **c.** If there is no mention of femoral-inguinal lymph node involvement in the area being imaged, biopsied, or in the surgical field and there is no mention of involvement, then assume that the femoral-inguinal lymph nodes are negative
**3)** **Code 9** when
* **a.** Primary site location is **upper two thirds of the vagina**, or **unknown** whether it's the lower third or upper two thirds
* **b.** When there is no imaging, biopsy, surgical workup, or a physical exam only
* **c.** Not documented in medical record
* **d.** Regional/Distant lymph nodes not evaluated (assessed)
* **e.** Unknown if regional/distant lymph nodes evaluated (assessed)
Default
8
Metadata
SSDI
| LN Status Femoral-Inguinal |
Description |
| 0 |
Negative femoral-inguinal lymph nodes |
| 1 |
Positive femoral-inguinal lymph nodes |
| 8 |
Not applicable: Information not collected for this case
(If this information is required by your standard setter, use of code 8 may result in an edit error.) |
| 9 |
Not documented in medical record
Femoral-Inguinal lymph node(s) not assessed or unknown if assessed |
