Surgery of Primary Site/Scope Regional LN Surgery--Breast: How should these fields be coded when a sentinel lymph node dissection removes one-to-three axillary lymph nodes and a total/simple mastectomy is done?
Assign code 41 [Total (simple) mastectomy, NOS WITHOUT removal of uninvolved contralateral breast] for Surgery of Primary Site. Assign code 2 [Sentinel lymph node biopsy] for Scope of Regional Lymph Node surgery. Code 41 applies to a total/simple mastectomy with any number of sentinel lymph nodes removed -- as long as all of the nodes removed are designated as sentinel nodes.
Primary Site: Is an "angiosarcoma" stated as arising in the skin of the breast and treated with a mastectomy, coded to the primary site of skin or breast?
Code the primary site as skin of breast when skin of breast is documented as the site of origin.
According to the WHO classification of soft tissue tumors, the majority of angiosarcomas "develop as cutaneous tumors...less than one quarter present as a deep soft tissue mass."
Multiple primaries--Heme & Lymphoid Neoplasms: Is a new bone marrow diagnosis of acute myelogenous leukemia that follows a 2007 treated diagnosis of a JAK-2 positive polycythemia vera a new primary?
Per Rule M10, abstract two primaries. Per the Heme DB, polycythemia vera [9950/3] transforms to an acute myelogenous leukemia [9861/3]. According to Rule M10, one is to abstract multiple primaries when a neoplasm is originally diagnosed as a chronic neoplasm (e.g., polycythemia vera) AND there is a second diagnosis of an acute neoplasm (e.g., acute myelogenous leukemia) more than 21 days after the chronic diagnosis.
SEER*Educate provides training on how to use the Heme Manual and DB. If you are unsure how to arrive at the answer in this SINQ question, refer to SEER*Educate to practice coding hematopoietic and lymphoid neoplasms. Review the step-by-step instructions provided for each case scenario to learn how to use the application and manual to arrive at the answer provided. https://educate.fhcrc.org/LandingPage.aspx.
Primary site--Kidney, renal pelvis: Should primary site be coded C809 [unknown] or C649 [kidney] when a patient is diagnosed with renal cell carcinoma in a transplanted kidney?
Code the primary site to C649 [kidney]. Per the SEER Manual, code the site where the neoplasm originated. There are no separate instructions for coding primary site for transplanted organs. This patient's renal cell carcinoma originated in the kidney [C649].
Radiation/Chemotherapy: How do we code radiation and chemotherapy when the only statement we have is that the patient is "referred to either an oncologist or a radiation therapist"?
For cases diagnosed 1/1/2003 and after: A referral does not mean that the radiation therapy or chemotherapy was actually recommended. These cases need follow-back to see if treatment was recommended and/or administered. Some registries code these cases as 8 [Radiation recommended, unknown if administered] or 88 [Chemotherapy recommended, unknown if it was administered] and routinely review all cases with 8 or 88 codes. Upon review, the codes are updated depending on the information found. If there is no information available, the code 8 or 88 is changed to 0 or 00 [None].
MP/H Rules: Regarding rules for Renal Pelvis, ureters, bladder & urethra - Please clarify Rule M8. Rule M8 references Table 1, but table 1 is a table of histologies not primary sites, Rule M8 also seems to contradict Table 2 and Rule M10. Does it matter where the first primary is, ie bladder then urethra or bladder then renal pelvis?
Table 2 does not apply to diagnoses in 2007 and later. A watermark over (or near) Table 2 states "Do not use for cases diagnosed on or after 2007." Table 2 lists previous SEER site groupings for cases prior to 2007.
The MP/H rules are in hierarchical order. Use the first rule that applies. When Rule M8 applies, there is no need to check Rule M10. Rule M8 is for the urinary sites listed and derives single primary. Rule M10 is for all sites, except the sites listed in Rule M8, and derives multiple primaries.
It does not matter where the first primary is, i.e. bladder then urethra or bladder then renal pelvis. If there are two or more tumors in two or more of these four sites listed in Rule M8 with histologies listed on Table 1, abstract as a single primary.
Reportability/Terminology--Head & Neck: Is an "evolving" squamous cell carcinoma of the vermillion border of the left lower lip reportable?
For solid tumors, ignore the term "evolving" and apply the registry rules for reportability to this case. Squamous cell carcinoma of the vermillion border of the lower lip (C001) is reportable.
Reportability--Appendix: Are low-grade appendiceal mucinous neoplasms reportable?
For cases diagnosed prior to 1/1/2022
A low-grade appendiceal mucinous neoplasm (LAMN) is not reportable. The WHO classification designates LAMN with the behavior code /1 [uncertain whether benign or malignant].
Histology (Pre-2007): What code is used to represent the histology "non oat cell carcinoma"?
For tumors diagnosed 2001-2006:
Code the Histology field to 8046/3 [non-small cell carcinoma] if the pathologist does not provide a more specific histologic type. "Non oat cell" is a synonym for "non-small cell."
For tumors diagnosed 2007 or later, refer to the MP/H rules. If there are still questions about how this type of tumor should be coded, submit a new question to SINQ and include the difficulties you are encountering in applying the MP/H rules.
An official website of the United States government
Home