LN Status: Para-aortic

Description

This data item describes the status of para-aortic 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 Vagina SSF #4

Additional Info

**Source documents:** pathology report, imaging, physical exam, other statement in record

Notes

**Note 1:** **Physician Statement** * Physician statement of para-aortic status can be used to code this data item when no other information is available. **Note 2:** **Para-aortic lymph nodes** * Aortic * Lateral aortic/lumbar aortic * Para-aortic, NOS * Periaortic **Note 3:** **Isolated tumor cells** * For this data item, do not include isolated tumor cells (ITCs). **Note 4:** **Related data item** * The assessment method is recorded in the related data item 3872: LN Assessment Method Para-aortic.

Coding Guidelines

**1)** **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 **2)** **Code 9** when * **a.** When there is no imaging, biopsy, surgical workup, or a physical exam only * **b.** Not documented in medical record * **c.** Regional/Distant lymph nodes not evaluated (assessed) * **d.** Unknown if regional/distant lymph nodes evaluated (assessed)

Default

8

NAACCR Item

NAACCR #3958

Metadata

SSDI
LN Status: Para-aortic Description
0 Negative para-aortic lymph nodes Non-invasive neoplasm (behavior /2)
1 Positive para-aortic 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 Para-aortic lymph node(s) not assessed or unknown if assessed