Person with cancer—laterality of primary cancer, code A

Identifying and definitional attributes
Metadata item type:	Data Element
Short name:	Laterality of primary cancer
METEOR identifier:	422769
Registration status:	Health, Standard 07/12/2011
Definition:	The side of a paired organ that is the origin of the primary cancer in a person with cancer, as represented by a code.
Data Element Concept:	Person with cancer—laterality of primary cancer

Value domain attributes

Representational attributes

Representation class:

Code

Data type:

String

Format:

Maximum character length:

Permissible values:

Value	Meaning
R	Right
L	Left
B	Bilateral

Supplementary values:

Value	Meaning
N	Not applicable
U	Unknown

Data element attributes

Collection and usage attributes

Guide for use:

Record the appropriate code at the time of diagnosis.

Definitions

Right:

Origin of primary site is on the right side of a paired organ.

Left:

Origin of primary site is on the left side of a paired organ.

Bilateral:

Origin of primary site is on both sides of a paired organ. (When tumours of the same morphology are diagnosed simultaneously in both sides of a paired organ.)

Includes organs that are bilateral as a single primary (e.g. bilateral retinoblastoma (M9510/3, C69.2), (M9511/3, C69.2), (M9512/3, C69.2), (C69.6, C48.0), bilateral Wilms tumours (C64.9, M8960/3))

Note: Bilateral cancers are very rare.

Unknown:

It is unknown whether, for a paired organ the origin of the cancer was on the left or right side of the body.

Paired organs and structures

The valid International Classification of Diseases for Oncology values for paired organs are provided in the list below:

C02.4	Lingual tonsil
C07.9	Parotid gland
C08.0	Submandibular gland
C08.1	Sublingual gland
C09.0	Tonsillar fossa
C09.1	Tonsillar pillar
C09.8	Overlapping lesion of tonsil
C09.9	Tonsil, NOS
C11.1	Posterior wall of nasopharynx
C30.0	Nasal cavity (excluding nasal cartilage and nasal septum)
C30.1	Middle ear
C31.0	Maxillary sinus
C31.2	Frontal sinus
C34.0	Main bronchus (excluding carina)
C34.1-C34.9	Lung
C38.4	Pleura
C40.0	Long bones of upper limb and scapula
C40.1	Short bones of upper limb
C40.2	Long bones of lower limb
C40.3	Short bones of lower limb
C41.3	Rib and clavicle (excluding sternum)
C41.4	Pelvic bones (excluding sacrum, coccyx and symphysis pubis)
C44.1	Skin of eyelid
C44.2	Skin of external ear
C44.3	Skin of other and unspecified parts of face
C44.5	Skin of trunk
C44.6	Skin of upper limb and shoulder
C44.7	Skin of lower limb and hip
C47.1	Peripheral nerves and autonomic nervous system of upper limb and shoulder
C47.2	Peripheral nerves and autonomic nervous system of lower limb and hip
C49.1	Connective, subcutaneous and other soft tissues of upper limb and shoulder
C49.2	Connective, subcutaneous and other soft tissues of lower limb and hip
C50.0-C50.9	Breast
C56.9	Ovary
C57.0	Fallopian tube
C62.0-C62.9	Testis
C63.0	Epididymis
C63.1	Spermatic cord
C64.9	Kidney, NOS
C65.9	Renal pelvis
C66.9	Ureter
C69.0-C69.9	Eye and lacrimal gland
C70.0	Cerebral meninges, NOS
C71.0	Cerebrum
C71.1	Frontal lobe
C71.2	Temporal lobe
C71.3	Parietal lobe
C71.4	Occipital lobe
C72.2	Olfactory nerve
C72.3	Optic nerve
C72.4	Acoustic nerve
C72.5	Cranial nerve, NOS
C74.0-C74.9	Adrenal gland
C75.0	Parathyroid glands
C75.4	Carotid body
C76.4	Upper limb, NOS
C76.5	Lower limb, NOS
C77.3	Lymph nodes of axilla or arm
C77.4	Lymph nodes of inguinal region or leg

Collection methods:

This information should be obtained from the patient's medical record and pathology report.

Comments:

The laterality of the primary tumour may have implications for treatment and prognosis, and can be of assistance to cancer registries for the coding of subsequent tumours in paired organs.

Source and reference attributes

Origin:

World Health Organization

Reference documents:

American College of Surgeons 2002. Facility Oncology Registry Data Standards (FORDS), 2010 revision. Commission on Cancer

Fritz A et al. 2000. International Classification of Diseases for Oncology (ICD-O), 3rd edition. Geneva: World Health Organization

Relational attributes

Related metadata references:

Implementation in Data Set Specifications:

All attributes +