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SEER Inquiry System - Report
Produced: 09/18/2025 8:11 PM
Question 20051032
Inquiry Details
References:
2004 SEER Manual, 2
Question:
Reportability/Behavior--Brain and CNS: How is a brain "neoplasm" diagnosed only by CT scan reported to SEER? See Discussion.
Discussion:
We have a significant number of patients who come into our emergency room and are diagnosed with a brain neoplasm by CT scan. They are transferred to another facility for further care. Some of those facilities will give us information - histology, treatment, etc. Some will not. How are we supposed to report these brain neoplasms if we don't know if they are benign or malignant? Can we report them as behavior code 9 or do we just report them as benign if we can't get any further information?
Answer:
The case above is reportable and 8000/1 is the most appropriate histology/behavior code. A clinical diagnosis alone from diagnostic imaging reporting a brain 'neoplasm' (with a diagnosis date supporting the reportable case requirements) even with no other information available (from biopsy or resection) is reportable. Care should be taken when reviewing terms used by the radiologist on these reports, since some tumors exhibit defining characteristics that can be picked up on diagnostic imaging.
Cancer Site Category:
Brain and CNS
Data Item Category:
Behavior
Other Category:
Reportability
Year:
2005
