- Code from pathology report(s). Code the absence or presence of lymph-vascular invasion as described in the medical record.
- The primary sources of information about lymph-vascular invasion are the pathology check lists (synoptic reports) developed by the College of American Pathologists. If the case does not have a checklist or synoptic report, code from the pathology report or a physician’s statement, in that order.
- Do not code perineural invasion in this field.
- Information to code this field can be taken from any specimen from the primary tumor.
- If lymph-vascular invasion is identified anywhere in the resected specimen, it should be coded as present/identified.
- Use of codes
- Use code 0 when the pathology report indicates that there is no lymph-vascular invasion. This includes cases of purely in situ carcinoma, which biologically have no access to lymphatic or vascular channels below the basement membrane.
- Use code 1 when the pathology report or a physician’s statement indicates that lymph-vascular invasion (or one of its synonyms) is present in the specimen.
- Use code 8 for the following primary sites: Hodgkin and Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, Leukemias, Hematopoietic and reticuloendothelial disorders, Myelodysplastic syndromes including refractory anemias and refractory cytopenias, Myeloproliferative disorders
- Use code 9 when
- there is no microscopic examination of a primary tissue specimen
- the primary site specimen is cytology only or a fine needle aspiration
- the biopsy is only a very small tissue sample
- it is not possible to determine whether lymph-vascular invasion is present
- the pathologist indicates the specimen is insufficient to determine lymph-vascular invasion
- lymph-vascular invasion is not mentioned in the pathology report
0 = Lymph-vascular invasion is not present (absent) or not identified
1 = Lymph-vascular invasion is present or identified
8 = Not applicable
9 = Unknown if lymph-vascular invasion is present, or indeterminant
This data item was not collected for cases diagnosed prior to 2010. Due to delays in some hospitals for implementing registry data updates, it may be incomplete for 2010 cases.
Links to the site-specific codes can be found at http://ncdbpuf.facs.org/?q=node/370.