SEER Inquiry System - Search

Arimidex has not been approved to treat endometrial cancer. It is not prescribed for pre-menopausal women. Clarify with the physician why the drug was being used. If the physician states Arimidex was given to reduce tumor burden, code as hormone therapy.

See the SEER*Rx interactive database, http://seer.cancer.gov/seertools/seerrx/

For cases diagnosed 2007 or later, accession a single primary, hepatocellular carcinoma [8170/3].

The steps used to arrive at this decision are:

Open the Multiple Primary and Histology Coding Rules Manual. Choose one of the three formats (i.e., flowchart, matrix or text) and go to the Other Sites MP rules because liver does not have site specific rules developed.

Start at the MULTIPLE TUMORS module, rule M3. The rules are intended to be reviewed in consecutive order within a module. There is one tumor with HCC and another tumor with a specific type of HCC.

Hepatocellular carcinomas vary and often display different architectural patterns such as solid, acinar and trabecular.

For cases diagnosed 2010 and forward, access the Hematopoietic Database at http://seer.cancer.gov/seertools/hemelymph.

Code grade to 6 [B-cell] for the histology malignant non-Hodgkin lymphoma, large B-cell type, with features consistent with T-cell rich variant [9680/3]. Under the Definition section for histology code 9680/3 it states there are morphologic variants of the disease: centroblastic, immunoblastic, plasmablastic, T-cell/histiocyte-rich, anaplastic.

Rule G3 in the Heme Manual confirms the grade listed in the Heme DB under its Grade section for the histology 9680/3. While the patient presented with a variant of DLBCL that is T-cell/histiocyte rich, it is still a B-cell phenotype. The grade is coded accordingly.

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.

For cases diagnosed 2010 and forward, access the Hematopoietic Database at http://seer.cancer.gov/seertools/hemelymph.

Per PH Rule22, code the primary site to C779 [lymph nodes, NOS].

Rule PH22 is a default rule for lymphomas that is used when there is no other information regarding the primary site and the Heme DB does not indicate a primary site under its Primary Site(s) section. Rule PH27, code the primary site to unknown [C809], does not apply. Only use C809 [unknown] as the primary site when there is no evidence of lymphoma in lymph nodes AND the physician documents that the lymphoma originates in an organ(s).

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.

For cases diagnosed 2010 and forward, access the Hematopoietic Database at http://seer.cancer.gov/seertools/hemelymph.

Accession a single primary per Rule M2 which indicates you are to abstract a single primary when there is a single histology. Code the histology to 9983/3 [refractory anemia with excess blasts type 2 (RAEB-2)].

Per Appendix F, myelofibrosis, NOS, is NOT a synonym for primary myelofibrosis. Myelofibrosis, NOS, if not specified to be myelofibrosis, therefore, is not reportable.

Per PH29, code the specific histology when the diagnosis is one non-specific (NOS) histology (MDS) and one specific histology (RAEB-2) AND the Multiple Primary Calculator confirms the specific histology and NOS histology are the same primary (which it does).

Myelodysplastic syndrome, NOS is a generic disease description. In most cases, NOS histology is only the provisional diagnosis; the physician will run further diagnostic procedures and look for various clinical presentations to identify a more specific disease. The more specific myelodysplastic syndromes are: refractory anemia; refractory neutropenia; refractory thrombocytopenia; refractory anemia with ring sideroblasts; refractory cytopenia with multilineage dysplasia; refractory anemia with excess blasts; and refractory cytopenia of childhood. If the characteristics of a specific subtype of MDS develop later in the course of the disease, change the histology code to the more specific 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.

For cases diagnosed 2007 or later, code the histology as lobular carcinoma, in situ [8520/2].

The steps used to arrive at this decision are:

Open the Multiple Primary and Histology Coding Rules Manual. Choose one of the three formats (i.e., flowchart, matrix or text). Go to the Breast Histo rules because site specific rules exist for this primary.

Start at the SINGLE TUMOR: IN SITU CARCINOMA ONLY module, Rule H1. The rules are intended to be reviewed in consecutive order. Stop at the first rule that applies to the case you are processing. Code the histology to lobular carcinoma in situ [8520/2] because this is the only histologic type identified.

Pleomorphic lobular carcinoma is a variant of lobular carcinoma which does not have an ICD-O-3 code. It is still a lobular carcinoma. The identification of the variants of lobular carcinoma was a relatively recent discovery and the information was not available when the 2007 MP/H Rules were written. All of the lobular variants will be included in the next revision of the MP/H Rules.

For cases diagnosed 2010 and forward, access the Hematopoietic Database at http://seer.cancer.gov/seertools/hemelymph.

There is no time limit set to update histology to a more specific disease process if a patient has an initial NOS histology identified. Unlike solid tumors, hematopoietic and lymphoid neoplasms may take a year or more to manifest the specific disease. This is simply a part of the "disease characteristics."

Abstract a single primary per M2, a single histology represents a single primary. Code the histology to 9983/3 [MDS/RAEB-2.]

The Heme DB guidelines were interpreted correctly. MDS/RAEB can transform to AML and would be two separate primaries there had also been a reportable diagnosis of AML. The 7/2/2010 peripheral blood showed MDS and a clonal abnormality that was "compatible with MDS/AML." The 10/7/2010 bone marrow biopsy showed only RAEB-2 with "evolution towards AML with myelodysplasia related changes." Ambiguous terminology is only used to help determine reportability; it not used to code a more specific histology. In this case, there was only ambiguous terminology used to describe the AML.

It is important to understand the implication of incorrectly assigning histology codes for hematopoietic and lymphoid neoplasm using ambiguous terminology. Using this case as an example, the patient was not treated until three months after the 7/2/2010 peripheral blood diagnosis of MDS compatible with MDS/AML. The medical literature indicates that AML, if left untreated, is usually fatal within 1-3 months. The treatment given 10/6/2010, 3 months after the "compatible with" diagnosis, was a drug used to treat MDS and not AML.

The other issue with this case is that the bone marrow examination, which is more reliable than peripheral blood, showed only "evolution towards AML." This means that the bone marrow is exhibiting the changes seen in the final stages of MDS prior to progression to AML. Wait for a definitive diagnosis of AML and/or treatment for AML before abstracting the second primary.

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.

For cases diagnosed 2010 and forward, access the Hematopoietic Database at http://seer.cancer.gov/seertools/hemelymph.

Per Rule PH30, use the Heme DB to determine the primary site and histology when rules PH1-PH29 do not apply. The Heme DB indicates the primary site for systemic mastocytosis is always coded to C421 [bone marrow].

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.

For cases diagnosed 2010 and forward, access the Hematopoietic Database at http://seer.cancer.gov/seertools/hemelymph.

Per Rule PH30, use the Heme DB to determine the primary site and histology when rules PH1-PH29 do not apply. Code the primary site to C419 [bone, NOS], assuming there are multiple bones involved in this case. If only one bone is involved, code the primary site to the specified bone.

In the Abstractor Notes section in the Heme DB, it indicates the primary site may differ for LCH in the solitary disease and multisystem disease. This patient has multisystem disease with involvement of the bone, liver, spleen and retroperitoneum. The most common sites for multisystem involvement include three of the four above sites (bone, liver, and spleen).

Determine the primary site based on the knowledge of the usual sites of involvement for this disease, the actual sites of involvement for the case presented, and identifying which sites of involvement are likely metastatic and which are the potential primary sites. There are two potential primary sites of involvement: the bone and the retroperitoneum. Bone is a common site of involvement for LCH while the retroperitoneum is not. Code the primary site to C419 [bone, NOS] because multiple bones are involved for this patient and bone is the most common site for LCH based on the documentation in the Abstractor Notes.

The spleen and liver are typically not primary sites for this disease process. They become involved when there is multisystem involvement because they filter the blood. They are typically sites of metastatic involvement. This information will be added to the ABSTRACTOR NOTE section.

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.

For cases diagnosed 2007 or later, accession two primaries, carcinosarcoma [8980/3] of the left ovary and serous carcinoma [8441/3] of the right ovary.

The steps used to arrive at this decision are:

Open the Multiple Primary and Histology Coding Rules Manual. Choose one of the three formats (i.e., flowchart, matrix or text). After determining the histology of each tumor (8980/3 and 8441/3), go to the Other Sites MP rules because ovary does not have site specific rules developed

Start at the MULTIPLE TUMORS module, Rule M3. The rules are intended to be reviewed in consecutive order within a module. Stop at the first rule that applies to the case you are processing.

Review Table 1 (Paired Organs and Sites with Laterality) to determine whether ovary is a paired site. To locate Table 1, go to Other Site under the Terms & Definitions section of the manual. Ovary is listed as a paired site. Accession multiple primaries when there are tumors on both sides (right and left) of a site listed in Table 1 (Paired Organs and Sites with Laterality).

Carcinosarcoma [8980/3] is not an epithelial tumor of the ovary within the range of 8000-8799 and, therefore, Rule M7 does not apply.