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SEER Inquiry System - Report
Produced: 01/15/2026 10:47 AM
Question 20190044
Inquiry Details
References:
#1: Solid Tumor Rules, 27. Colon, January 2019 Update
#2: SINQ 20170058
Question:
Solid Tumor Rules (2018)/Histology--Colon: Is the term phenotype equivalent to type, subtype, variant for the purpose of coding histology? See Discussion.
Discussion:
In our region, pathologists often describe histology using the term phenotype. However, the use of the term phenotype is not discussed in the Solid Tumor Manual.
Example: Final Diagnosis of a colon tumor is invasive adenocarcinoma with a mixed phenotype, and the Diagnosis Comment states: The majority of the disease is poorly differentiated/signet ring cell phenotype.
Would the histology be coded to 8490 (signet ring cell carcinoma), if the majority of the tumor is a more specific histology described by the term phenotype?
Answer:
While variant, type, and subtype can be used interchangeably according to the Solid Tumor Rules, SINQ 20170058 states that the Multiple Primaries/Histology (now Solid Tumor) Rules do not include coding phenotype. Code as invasive adenocarcinoma NOS (8140).
