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| Report | Question ID | Question | Discussion | Answer | Year |
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20000484 | EOD-Size of Primary Tumor--Breast/Cervix: When coding tumor size, when do you use 997 for breast cases and 000 versus 999 for breast and other primaries? See discussion. | Example 1: Ductal carcinoma found in axillary lymph nodes. No tumor found in breast on physical exam or by pathological exam of the breast, but physician states that the breast is definitely the primary site.
Example 2: Paget disease for breast carcinoma with no underlying tumor.
Example 3: Inspection of the cervix shows no visible tumor; biopsy of the cervix reveals CIN III or squamous cell carcinoma, either invasive or in situ. |
For cases diagnosed 1998-2003:
Code the EOD-Size of Primary Tumor field as follows:
Example 1: Code to 000 [No mass, no tumor found, no Paget disease] when a tumor of a stated primary site is not found, but the tumor has metastasized.
Example 2: Code to 997 [Paget disease of nipple with no demonstrable tumor] if there is no underlying tumor and the patient presents with Paget of the breast.
Example 3: Code to 999 [Size not stated] when no size of tumor is given on the pathology report. Do not use 000 in the size field when a tumor is not visible on physical exam or by imaging, but tumor is found microscopically. |
2000 |
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20000493 | EOD-Clinical Extension--Prostate: For prostate cancer, can an elevated PSA be used to code metastasis? See discussion. | 5/31/98 PE: 30 gm prostate with nodularity, suspicious for CA. Final diagnosis: Stage D Ca of prostate with mets, NOS PTA IVP: Normal collecting system 5/11/98 CXR: NED PSA 86.3 Suggestive of prostate Ca per MD 5/13/98 TURP and bilat. orchiectomy: Plan was to perform orchiectomy as treatment of choice if biopsy was positive. Appears MD feels that the patient has mets, NOS based on the elevated PSA. 5/13/98 TURP Adenocarcinoma, PD |
For cases diagnosed 1998-2003, do not code the EOD-Clinical Extension field based on elevated PSA alone. If a recognized practitioner states that there is metastasis, then metastasis should be coded.
In this case, code the EOD-Clinical Extension field to 85 [Metastasis] because it is Stage D. But if you had D1 or D2 staging based on the involvement of lymph nodes, then that involvement would be coded under EOD lymph nodes and not under the clinical extension field. |
2000 |
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20000849 | Primary Site--Lymphoma: How should you code the primary site for a lymphoma that presents with involvement of an extranodal site and regional lymph nodes? See discussion. | 1. Lymphoma involves the spleen and the splenic lymph nodes.
2. MALT Lymphoma involves the stomach and the gastric and iliac lymph nodes. |
1. Code the Primary Site field to C42.2 [spleen].
2. Code the Primary Site field to C16._ [stomach].
When lymphoma presents in an extranodal site and in the regional lymph nodes for that extranodal site, code the Primary Site field to the extranodal site. The typical disease process is that lymphoma can spread from an extranodal organ to its regional lymph nodes. It cannot metastasize from the regional lymph node to the extranodal organ. The exception to this would be if the lymph nodes presented as one large mass that extended into the regional organ. |
2000 |
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20000482 | EOD-Extension--Head & Neck (Larynx): When "fixed" is stated for a larynx primary does it specifically have to say that it is the vocal cord that is fixed? Are the terms "fixed" and "immobile" synonymous? Should these cases be coded to 40 rather than 35? See discussion. |
1. The tumor is fixed, the arytenoid on left side is fixed and the right arytenoid is partially fixed. Palpation of the tumor reveals it to be fixed in the larynx. T3 N0 M0 Stage III. 2. Erythema and swelling of right false cord with bulging and immobility. Left cord moves normally. T3 N0 M0 Stage III. |
For cases diagnosed 1998-2003: Code the EOD-Extension field for both cases to 40 [Tumor limited to larynx WITH vocal cord fixation]. Code 35 [Impaired vocal cord mobility] implies that mobility is diminished in strength and/or quality but is not rigid. Impaired mobility is a T2 tumor. Because the second case is T3, the physician implies he/she is using the term "immobility" to describe complete fixation. |
2000 |
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20000529 | EOD-Extension--Lung: If LUL mass "crosses the pleural surface" into the LLL, do we assume this represents extension to the pleura? See discussion. | 9/22/93 Left upper lobe lobectomy: 3 x 3 cm mass in the periphery of the LUL near the LLL. Multiple enlarged nodes around the aortic arch and within the pulmonary fissure.
9/22/93 Pathology: Moderately differentiated Adenoca. The neoplasm does cross the pleural surface into the segment of the lower lobe. Lower margin of resection is free of neoplasm. Six lymph nodes negative for metastatic carcinoma. Tumor staged as T2N0M0 Stage Ib by physician.
Is tumor extension coded 10 [confined to one lung] or 40 [extension to pleura]? |
For cases diagnosed 1998-2003:
Code the EOD-Extension field to 40 [extension to pleura]. The tumor has penetrated (extended to) the pleura. |
2000 |
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20000528 | Hematologic Transplant and Endocrine Procedures--Breast: Is a bone marrow transplant first course of cancer-directed therapy for breast cancer? If yes, are time guidelines relating to the first "remission" the same as for those used in leukemia primaries? |
For cases diagnosed 1/1/2003 and after: A bone marrow transplant can be first course of therapy for cases in which there has been no progression of disease between the initial therapy (e.g., surgery, radiation, chemotherapy) and the bone marrow transplant. Code Hematologic Transplant and Endocrine Procedures field to 10-12 or 40 (depending on the type of bone marrow transplant performed). Do not use leukemia treatment time guidelines when coding breast cancer treatment. |
2000 | |
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20000249 | EOD-Lymph Nodes--Melanoma: Should we assume that positive lymph nodes are regional if the primary site for a melanoma is not identified (i.e., C449)? |
For cases diagnosed 1998-2003: Code the EOD-Lymph Nodes field to 8 [Lymph Nodes, NOS]. |
2000 | |
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20000438 | EOD-Extension/SEER Summary Stage 2000--Kidney/Eye: What codes are used to represent these fields for simultaneous bilateral Wilms tumor or simultaneous bilateral retinoblastoma? | For cases diagnosed 1998-2003:
Code the EOD-Extension field to 85 [Metastasis] and the SEER Summary Stage 2000 field to 7 [Distant] for both types of tumor. Each kidney and each eye are staged separately in the AJCC, 6th ed., but for SEER we would abstract these diagnoses as one case and code the EOD and stage fields to distant to reflect the involvement of both eyes or both kidneys. |
2000 | |
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20000420 | Date of Diagnosis--All Sites: Is it better to estimate the month in the date of diagnosis field using the re-excision pathology report date or code the month to unknown if the only available information is the re-excision date? See discussion. | The only available information is the following pathology report:
On 7/18/00 a wide excision of the primary lesion is done. The report reads, "Lesion approximately 1 cm. Residual superficial spreading malignant melanoma with deepest penetration 4 mm." |
Code the Date of Diagnosis field to 07/2000 for this case. Estimate the month of diagnosis whenever possible.
Given the usual delay between the initial excision of the lesion and a wide excision for a melanoma, estimate the month of diagnosis as July. |
2000 |
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20000422 | Surgery of Primary Site: Should laparoscopy be coded as exploratory surgery? See discussion. | Many surgeons are doing exploratory surgery with laparoscopy involving a very small incision, but they can examine organs and take biopsies. Should laparoscopy be coded as exploratory surgery? | For cases diagnosed 1/1/1998 and later: Exploratory surgical procedures, such as laparoscopic surgeries, are not coded in the Surgery of Primary Site field. | 2000 |
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