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SEER Inquiry System - Report
Produced: 02/06/2026 11:22 PM
Question 20110126
Inquiry Details
References:
#1: Heme & Lymph Manual & DB
#2: ICD-O-3 Hematopoietic Primaries Table
Question:
Discussion:
Patient has a history of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma involving multiple lymph node regions (site C778) with bone marrow involvement diagnosed in 2003 and a history of follicular lymphoma confined to the thyroid and neck lymph nodes diagnosed in 2009. In 2010 the patient was diagnosed with follicular lymphoma in the inguinal and abdominal lymph nodes.
The 2003 diagnosis of DLBCL and the 2009 diagnosis of follicular lymphoma are the same primary according to the 2009 rules, the Single Versus Subsequent Primaries Table.
What rule is used to determine whether the 2010 diagnosis of follicular lymphoma represents a new primary? Which histologies are compared using the rules: the 2010 follicular lymphoma diagnosis to the 2009 follicular diagnosis or the 2010 follicular lymphoma diagnosis to the 2003 DLBCL diagnosis?
Answer:
This case should be accessioned as one primary.
Reportability is determined by the year of diagnosis. The original DLBCL was diagnosed in 2003 and the follicular lymphoma in 2009. The pre-2010 rules are used for both cases. Per the Single Versus Subsequent Primaries Table, these are the same primary. It is reported with the histology 9680/3 [diffuse large B-cell lymphoma]
Do not compare the DLBCL diagnosed in 2003 and the follicular lymphoma diagnosed in 2010 because the determination of the number of primaries for the two specific histologic types was done (as it should have been) using the rules in effect in 2009 when the follicular lymphoma was first diagnosed. The determination of a single or multiple primaries is made the first time the patient presents with the two different diseases; it is not changed when the same disease process reappears after 2010.
History:
This SINQ question has been updated to the Hematopoietic & Lymphoid Neoplasm Manual & Database published January 2014.
The original answer below was written based on the rules in 2010
Reportability is determined by the year of diagnosis. The original DLBCL was diagnosed in 2003 and the follicular lymphoma in 2009. The pre-2010 rules are used for both cases. Per the Single Versus Subsequent Primaries Table, these are the same primary.
For cases diagnosed 2010-2011, access the Hematopoietic Database at
http://seer.cancer.gov/tools/heme/.
Click on Hematopoietic Project. Click on Hematopoietic and Lymphoid Database. For 2010-2011 diagnoses, click on the "use the 2010 database" label in the upper right corner of the screen. The 2010 Hematopoietic Coding Manual (PDF) button will appear to indicate the correct version of the program is available now for query.
This case should be accessioned as one primary. The steps used to arrive at this decision are:
Do not compare the DLBCL diagnosed in 2003 and the follicular lymphoma diagnosed in 2010 because the determination of a multiple primary was done (as it should have been) using the rules in effect in 2009 when the follicular lymphoma was first diagnosed. The determination of a single or multiple primaries is made the first time the patient presents with the two different diseases; it is not changed when one of the diseases disseminates.
When the patient presents with follicular lymphoma in the inguinal and abdominal lymph nodes in 2010 and the patient has a follicular lymphoma in the thyroid and neck lymph nodes in the database with a diagnosis date of 2009, ascertain whether the 2009 and 2010 follicular lymphomas are the same primary because there is new tumor/areas of involvement in 2010.
Enter in the Heme DB to find the histology. Click on the SEARCH button. The first matched term on the screen is "follicular lymphoma" [9690/3].
Click on the 2010 HEMATOPOIETIC CODING MANUAL (PDF) button. Once in the manual, locate one of the three formats (i.e., flowchart, matrix or text) to check the Multiple Primary Rules. The rules are intended to be reviewed in consecutive order from Rule M1 to Rule M13. Stop at the first rule that applies to the case you are processing. A single histology is a single primary. This patient was diagnosed with follicular lymphoma in 2009 and again in 2010.
