Lymph Nodes Assessment Method Femoral-Inguinal
Description
This data item describes the method used to assess involvement 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 assessment method information on regional lymph nodes, and 1 data item for distant lymph nodes. The LN assessment data items collect how the lymph nodes were assessed for femoral-inguinal, para-aortic, and pelvic lymph nodes, and distant lymph nodes scalene and mediastinal. These related data items include * 3871: LN Assessment Method Femoral-Inguinal * 3872: LN Assessment Method Para-Aortic * 3873: LN Assessment Method Pelvic * 3874: LN Distant Assessment MethodRationale
Method of assessment of regional nodal status is listed as a Registry Data Collection Variable in the AJCC GYN chapters. This data item was previously collected as Vulva, SSF #15.Additional Info
**Source documents:** pathology report, imaging, physical exam, other statement in recordNotes
**Note 1:** **Physician Statement** * Physician statement of the femoral-inguinal assessment method can be used to code this data item when no other information is available. **Note 2:** **Femoral-inguinal nodes** * Femoral * Inguinal, NOS * Inguinofemoral (groin) * Node of Cloquet or Rosenmuller (highest deep inguinal) * Superficial inguinal **Note 3:** **Isolated tumor cells** * For this data item, do not include isolated tumor cells (ITCs). **Note 4:** **Related data item** * The status of the lymph nodes is recorded in the related data item 3859: LN Status Femoral-Inguinal.Coding Guidelines
**1)** Assign the highest applicable code (0-2) in the case of multiple assessments **2)** **Code 0** when there is physical exam or imaging only **3)** **Code 1** when there is an incisional biopsy or FNA **4)** **Code 2** when there is an excisional biopsy or lymph node resection **5)** **Code 7** when lymph nodes are assessed, but it is unknown how **6)** **Code 9** when * Not documented in medical record * Regional/Distant lymph nodes not evaluated (assessed) * Unknown if regional/distant lymph nodes evaluated (assessed)| Code | Description |
|---|---|
| 0 | Radiography, imaging (Ultrasound (US), computed tomography scan (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography scan (PET)) Physical exam only |
| 1 | Incisional biopsy; fine needle aspiration (FNA) |
| 2 | Lymphadenectomy Sentinel node biopsy Excisional biopsy or resection with microscopic confirmation |
| 7 | Femoral-inguinal lymph node(s) assessed, unknown assessment method |
| 8 | Not applicable: Information not collected for this case (If this item is required by your standard setter, use of code 8 will result in an edit error.) |
| 9 | Not documented in medical record Femoral-inguinal lymph node(s) not assessed or unknown if assessed |