SEER Inquiry System - Question 20100008 Details

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Produced: 05/02/2026 4:45 PM

Question 20100008

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Inquiry Details

References:

#1: ICD-O-3

#2: 2007 SEER Manual, 70

Question:

Primary site--Bladder/Unknown & ill-defined sites: Should the coding of primary site be based on a molecular study when it is not verified by a clinical correlation? See Discussion.

Discussion:

Patient was seen in 2009 at Hospital A for bone pain and was found to have metastatic adenocarcinoma. A paraffin block specimen was sent to BioThernostics for THEROS CancerTYPE ID Molecular Cancer Classification Tests. The results came back with a 94% likelihood that the urinary bladder was the primary site. No scans were done on the abdomen or pelvis.

The patient was then sent to Hospital B for radiation to the bones and chemotherapy (Carboplatin and Taxol). The patient died within 6 months.

According to Hospital A, the primary site is bladder based on the molecular study report. Hospital B says this is an unknown primary. Which is correct? Do we take primary site from these tests, even when no clinical correlation is documented?

Answer:

Code primary site to bladder in this case. Code the known primary site when given the choice between a known primary site and an unknown primary site.

Cancer Site Category:

Bladder, Unknown & ill-defined sit

Data Item Category:

Primary site

Other Category:

N/A

Year:

2010