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Report Produced: 09/26/2025 06:10 AM

Report Question ID Question Discussion Answer Year
20061122 CS Lymph Nodes--Head & Neck (Parotid): What code is used to represent a positive intraparotid or a periparotid lymph node for a parotid primary? See Discussion.

The CS scheme for parotid places intraparotid lymph nodes under code 10 as well as code 12. Periparotid lymph nodes are included under code 12. Should both intraparotid and periparotid lymph nodes be included under code 10 only?

For head and neck sites, several lymph node groups fall into the "Other groups" category. They are not included in the level I-VII groups. In the coding schemes for most (but not all) of the head and neck sites, the "other groups" category includes intraparotid and periparotid lymph nodes and is coded 12 (or 52).

This answer was provided in the context of CSv1 coding guidelines. The response may not be used after your registry database has been converted to CSv2.Assign code 10 for a single positive intraparotid or periparotid lymph node. If multiple nodes are involved, assign the appropriate code from the 20 series.

A recent revision to the CS lymph nodes scheme for parotid places both intraparotid and periparotid lymph nodes under code 10. Please see the August 21, 2006 update to the CS staging manual.

http://www.cancerstaging.org/cstage/cshtml.

 2006
20091063 CS Lymph Nodes--Head and Neck: How is this field coded when a positive neck FNA is followed by a neck dissection that contains one of seventeen positive lymph nodes? See Discussion. The primary site is the right tongue. The patient underwent FNA of a right neck mass that was positive for squamous cell carcinoma. Subsequent right modified radical neck dissection showed one out of seventeen nodes positive for metastatic carcinoma. For head and neck primaries, the CS LN codes 10-19 represent a single positive ipsilateral regional node. Codes 20-29 represent multiple positive ipsilateral nodes.

This answer was provided in the context of CSv1 coding guidelines. The response may not be used after your registry database has been converted to CSv2.If the neck dissection included the area of the positive FNA, count only the positive nodes from the dissection. Avoid double-counting a positive node for both an FNA and a dissection.

In the unlikely event that the dissection did not include the area of the positive FNA, add one positive node to the count from the dissection.

This instruction supersedes previous instructions.

 2009
20071029 CS Lymph Nodes--Kidney, renal pelvis: Under what circumstances would code 80 [Lymph nodes, NOS] be used to document the presence of positive lymph nodes? See Discussion. The CS Schema for Kidney (Renal Parenchyma) states to use code 70 for Regional Lymph Nodes, NOS. The schema for for Renal Pelvis states to use code 50 for Regional Lymph Nodes, NOS. Both schemas have a Code 80, for Lymph Nodes, NOS that maps to N1 in both schemas.

This answer was provided in the context of CSv1 coding guidelines. The response may not be used after your registry database has been converted to CSv2.Code 80 can be used for positive lymph nodes when you are unable to determine if they are regional or distant. CS Lymph Nodes code 80 is provided for this situation in accordance with the downstaging rule.

Code 80 should be used very infrequently and only when there is no indication whether the involved lymph nodes are regional or distant.

 2007
20061139 CS Lymph Nodes--Lung: Do modifying terms such as "borderline" affect whether lymph nodes are coded as involved when they are used in conjunction with the descriptors listed in Note 2 (i.e., mass, adenopathy or enlargement) for lung primaries? See Discussion. Lung primary: CT states "borderline" enlarged hilar lymph nodes. Note 2 in the Lung schema under CS Lymph Nodes does not address qualifiers.

This answer was provided in the context of CSv1 coding guidelines. The response may not be used after your registry database has been converted to CSv2.

Do not code the hilar lymph nodes as involved in this case. "Borderline" enlarged hilar lymph nodes do not meet the clinical criteria for enlargement.

 2006
20061012 CS Lymph Nodes--Lung: If the lymph nodes listed in codes 10 and 20 were contralateral or bilateral, and the only description was "mass", "adenopathy", or "enlargement" on mediastinoscopy or x-ray, is this field coded to 60? See Discussion. (CS Manual page 407) Note 2: If at mediastinoscopy/x-ray, the description is "mass", "adenopathy", or "enlargement" of any lymph nodes named as regional in codes 10 and 20, assume that at least regional lymph nodes were involved.

This answer was provided in the context of CSv1 coding guidelines. The response may not be used after your registry database has been converted to CSv2.

Yes. The named nodes listed in codes 10 or 20 should be coded 60 if the "mass", "adenopathy", or "enlargement" on mediastinscopy or x-ray is described as bilateral or contralateral.

 2006
20071019 CS Lymph Nodes--Melanoma: If the primary site is coded to C449 because no primary skin lesion is identified for a melanoma case, are any positive lymph nodes assumed to be regional?

This answer was provided in the context of CSv1 coding guidelines. The response may not be used after your registry database has been converted to CSv2.Code the CS Lymph Nodes field to 80 [Lymph Nodes, NOS].

Although it is in the CS LN field, use the code for Lymph Nodes, NOT OTHERWISE SPECIFIED when you don't know whether the nodes are regional or distant. There are separate codes to use when you definitely know that the nodes are regional.

 2007
20051122 CS Lymph Nodes--Prostate: How is this field coded when no scan, scope or surgical evaluation of regional lymph nodes is performed for a case with localized disease in the primary site? See Discussion. Prior to initiation of collaborative stage, SEER prostate guidelines instructed us to code lymph node involvement as negative when clinical or pathologic extension was coded 10-34 and there was no lymph node information. Is this guideline still in effect, or do we follow the collaborative stage rules which require lymph node information or, in absence of node info, usual treatment for localized disease?

This answer was provided in the context of CSv1 coding guidelines. The response may not be used after your registry database has been converted to CSv2.For prostate and other "inaccessible sites" with localized disease, code the regional lymph nodes as clinically negative when not mentioned on imaging or exploratory surgery.

 2005
20091001 CS Lymph Nodes/CS Mets at DX--Ovary: Are lymph nodes in the pericolic mesentery of the sigmoid that are removed during ovarian cancer debulking surgery, coded as regional or distant? See Discussion. Debulking surgery found tumor in both ovaries and in lymph nodes of pericolic mesentery, which was removed en bloc with a segment of sigmoid colon (colon had tumor implants involving serosa). Pericolic nodes are not listed as regional for ovary. However Note 2 in the CS manual for Extension states "sigmoid mesentery" is a regional pelvic organ, and that metastatic deposits here should be coded in the extension field, not as distant mets. Should lymph nodes from this same area be coded as regional or distant?

This answer was provided in the context of CSv1 coding guidelines. The response may not be used after your registry database has been converted to CSv2.

Lymph nodes in the mesentery of the sigmoid colon are regional for an ovarian primary. Code involved sigmoid mesenteric nodes under CS Lymph Nodes.

 2009
20051055 CS Lymph Nodes/CS Mets at Dx--Lung: In which CS field is a focus of squamous cell carcinoma in the soft tissue coded for a lung primary? See Discussion.

Final Pathologic Diagnosis:

1. Right upper lobe mass, lobectomy: Extensive well differentiated squamous cell carcinoma

2. Right hilar lymph nodes: No tumor identified in nine hilar lymph nodes. A focus of squamous carcinoma is present in soft tissue

This answer was provided in the context of CSv1 coding guidelines. The response may not be used after your registry database has been converted to CSv2.Code a separate focus of squamous cell carcinoma in soft tissue in the CS Mets at DX field. Use this field to capture discontinuous metastasis. Code CS Mets at DX as 40 [Distant mets except distant lymph nodes] for the case described above.

 2005
20061045 CS Lymph Nodes/CS Mets at Dx--Melanoma: How are these fields coded for a melanoma primary when melanoma is identified in lymph nodes but no primary skin tumor is found? See Discussion.

Excisional biopsy of an inguinal lymph node revealed metastatic melanoma. Multiple skin biopsies did not reveal the primary site.

Subsequent lymph node dissection of superficial inguinal nodes showed microscopic focus of malignant melanoma in subcutaneous fat adjacent to previous procedure site. No evidence of metastatic melanoma in 7 lymph nodes. Dissection of external iliac lymph nodes showed no evidence of melanoma in 5 lymph nodes.

This answer was provided in the context of CSv1 coding guidelines. The response may not be used after your registry database has been converted to CSv2.

Code CS Lymph Nodes 80 [Lymph nodes, NOS]. Code CS Mets at DX 00 [None]. Since it cannot be determined whether the lymph nodes are regional or distant, code CS Lymph Nodes to lymph nodes, NOS.

 2006