SEER Inquiry System - Question 20021184 Details

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SEER Inquiry System - Report

Produced: 03/03/2026 12:45 PM

Question 20021184

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Inquiry Details

References:

SEER EOD-88, 3rd Ed, 8

Question:

EOD-Lymph Nodes--Head & Neck: When a physician provides only "Stage IV" (i.e., an abbreviated stage) for a right posterior tongue primary with lateral extension into the oropharynx and hypopharynx, can you assume "palpable" level 2, 3 and 5 lymph nodes are involved?

Discussion:

Answer:

For cases diagnosed 1998-2003:

Code the EOD-Lymph Nodes field to 9 [Unknown], based on the information provided.

The physician's statement of an N category from a TNM may be used to determine lymph node involvement in the absence of other information. However, you cannot assume nodal involvement based on the incomplete staging information of "Stage IV" for a base of tongue primary. For this primary site, extension into the hypopharynx from this primary is equivalent to T4/Stage IV. Therefore you cannot assume the clinician's assessment of the case as Stage IV represents his assessment of lymph node involvement.

Cancer Site Category:

Head & Neck

Data Item Category:

N/A

Other Category:

N/A

Year:

2002