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SEER Inquiry System - Report
Produced: 04/21/2026 3:59 PM
Question 20180019
Inquiry Details
References:
2016 SEER Manual, 64. Marital Status data item
Question:
Marital Status: Is Marital Status always a self-reported status? See Discussion.
Discussion:
The SEER Manual states that Marriage is self-reported for the instruction in code 2, but it does not indicate if all other marital statuses are self-reported.
Examples: How is Marital Status reported for the following situations?
1. Patient with multiple tumors in the database, for the first tumor marital status is reported as married (code 2), for the subsequent tumor, marital status is reported as single (code 1).
2. Patient self- reports as single, but also has children.
3. Patient states they are in common law marriage, but our state is not a common law marriage state.
Answer:
Marital Status is self-reported because the information is recorded in the medical record based on information obtained from the patient. Use text fields to document relevant information.
Examples
1. Assign code 2 for the first tumor and assign code 1 for the subsequent tumor unless the available information indicates the patient is divorced at the time of the subsequent tumor diagnosis. Patient may self-report single after a divorce. Assign code 4 in that situation.
The code assigned for marital status reflects the patient's marital status at the time of diagnosis for the tumor being abstracted. It is possible that marital status may be different for each tumor if the patient has multiple tumors.
2. If marital status is stated to be single, assign code 1.
3. If marital status is stated to be common law marriage, assign code 2.
Common Law Marriage is defined as a couple living together for a period of time and declaring themselves as married to friends, family, and the community, having never gone through a formal ceremony or obtained a marriage license.
