EOD Regional Nodes

Coding lymph nodes for the bladder are based on several different factors

  1. SINGLE lymph node (excluding common iliac)
    1. Evaluation can be based on imaging or lymph node removal
    2. If lymph nodes are removed and positive, data item Regional Nodes Positive must be  coded to 01, 95, 97
  2. MULTIPLE involved lymph nodes (excluding common iliac)
    1. Evaluation can be based on imaging or lymph node removal
    2. If lymph nodes are removed and positive, data item Regional Nodes Positive must be 02-90
  3. Common iliac nodes
    1. Note: If common iliac nodes are involved, Summary Stage = 7 (Distant)
    2. Evaluation can be based on imaging or lymph node removal
    3. Number of lymph nodes positive is not relevant

Regional lymph nodes for bladder include:

  • Iliac, NOS
    • Common (note: these are Distant for Summary Stage [Code 7])
      • In older versions of AJCC, the common iliac nodes were M1 disease. They were moved to N3 in AJCC 7th edition. Summary Stage stays distant (based on the common iliac nodes being M1 prior to AJCC 7th edition) because Summary Stage does not change like AJCC.
      • Common iliac nodes are in EOD Regional Nodes (to derive the correct N), but are assigned and derived as distant in Summary Stage to maintain consistency for long term trends.
    • External
    • Internal (hypogastric)
  • Obturator
  • Pelvic, NOS
  • Perivesical pelvic, NOS
  • Sacral, NOS
    • Lateral (laterosacral)
    • Presacral
    • Sacral promontory (Gerota’s)

Note: If a TURB (with or without intravesical chemotherapy or BCG) is done, and there is imaging available and there is NO mention of lymphadenopathy, assume that the regional lymph nodes are negative.

See SEER*RSA, Bladder, for the current version of EOD and complete coding instructions for the Bladder schema.

Updated: April 22, 2025