From: Skin Cancer Treatment (PDQ®)
PDQ Cancer Information Summaries [Internet].
Bethesda (MD): National Cancer Institute (US); 2002-.
NCBI Bookshelf. A service of the National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
Table 2. Definitions of Pathological Regional Lymph Nodes (pN) for Cutaneous Carcinoma of the Head and Necka,b
| N Category | N Criteria |
|---|---|
| NX | Regional lymph nodes cannot be assessed. |
| N0 | No regional lymph node metastasis. |
| N1 | Metastasis in a single ipsilateral lymph node, ≤3 cm in greatest dimension and ENE negative. |
| N2 | Metastasis in a single ipsilateral lymph node, ≤3 cm in greatest dimension and ENE positive; or >3 cm but ≤6 cm in greatest dimension and ENE negative; or metastases in multiple ipsilateral lymph nodes, none >6 cm in greatest dimension and ENE negative; or in bilateral or contralateral lymph node(s), none >6 cm in greatest dimension, ENE negative. |
| –N2a | Metastasis in single ipsilateral node ≤3 cm in greatest dimension and ENE positive; or a single ipsilateral node >3 cm but ≤6 cm in greatest dimension and ENE negative. |
| –N2b | Metastasis in multiple ipsilateral nodes, none >6 cm in greatest dimension and ENE negative. |
| –N2c | Metastasis in bilateral or contralateral lymph node(s), none >6 cm in greatest dimension and ENE negative. |
| N3 | Metastasis in a lymph node >6 cm in greatest dimension and ENE negative; or in a single ipsilateral node >3 cm in greatest dimension and ENE positive; or multiple ipsilateral, contralateral, or bilateral nodes, any with ENE-positive status; or a single contralateral node of any size and ENE positive. |
| –N3a | Metastasis in a lymph node >6 cm in greatest dimension and ENE negative. |
| –N3b | Metastasis in a single ipsilateral node >3 cm in greatest dimension and ENE positive; or multiple ipsilateral, contralateral, or bilateral nodes, any with ENE-positive status; or a single contralateral node of any size and ENE positive. |
ENE = extranodal extension.
aReprinted with permission from AJCC: Cutaneous carcinoma of the head and neck. In: Amin MB, Edge SB, Greene FL, et al., eds.: AJCC Cancer Staging Manual. 8th ed. New York, NY: Springer, 2017, pp. 171–81.
bA designation of "U" or "L" may be used for any N category to indicate metastasis above the lower border of the cricoid (U) or below the lower border of the cricoid (L). Similarly, clinical and pathological ENE should be recorded as ENE negative or ENE positive.