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Report Produced: 05/05/2026 11:22 AM

Report Question ID Question Discussion Answer Year
20081050 MP/H Rules--Fallopian Tube: How many primaries are to be abstracted for a case in which a bilateral fallopian tube primary is staged T1c by the pathologist? See Discussion.

A bilateral fallopian tube primary was coded to multiple primaries. However, the AJCC staging for T1b says, "tumor limited to both tubes"

and T1c "tumor limited to one or both tubes." The tumor is T1c according to the pathologist. Is this two T1c primaries or one?

For cases diagnosed 2007 or later, abstract as two primaries using Other Sites rule M8.

This issue will be reviewed during the next update to the MP/H rules.

 2008
20081056 MP/H Rules--Lung: In reference to lung, SINQ 20071028 states "'nodule' is not an equivalent term for tumor, mass, lesion, or neoplasm." However, slide 5 for the MPH lung section of "Beyond the Basics" states "we use the words 'mass, nodule and lesion' interchangeably." Which is it?

For cases diagnosed 2007 or later:

For the purpose of applying the Lung MP/H rules, the word "Nodule" can be used interchageably with "Tumor," "Mass," "Lesion" and "Neoplasm." HOWEVER, this does NOT apply to casefinding or staging.

This revision will be added to the next version of the MP/H rules. Sinq question 20071028 will be revised.

 2008
20071028 MP/H Rules--Lung: Why the term "nodule" is not included as an equivalent term along with tumor, mass, lesion and neoplasm in the 2007 lung multiple primary rules?

Answer revised July 2008

For cases diagnosed 2007 or later:

For the purpose of applying the Lung MP/H rules, the word "Nodule" can be used interchageably with "Tumor," "Mass," "Lesion" and "Neoplasm." HOWEVER, this does NOT apply to casefinding or staging.

This revision will be added to the next version of the MP/H rules. Sinq question 20071028 will be revised.

 2007
20081045 MP/H Rules--Melanoma: How is histology coded for a regressing melanoma? See Discussion.

How is histology to be coded for the following tumors?

Example 1: Path showed malignant melanoma Histologic type: superficial spreading. Regression: present.

Example 2: Shave, mid back: malignant melanoma, lentigo melanoma type, level II, regression: present and prominent.

For cases diagnosed 2007-2014:

Apply MP/H Melanoma Histology Coding rule H5 and code the histologic type of the melanoma.

Code example 1 as 8743 [Superficial spreading melanoma].

Code example 2 as 8742 [Lentigo maligna melanoma].

 2008
20081055 MP/H Rules--Melanoma: How many primaries are represented if subsequent to a diagnosis of malignant melanoma of skin of left thorax in April 2006, a metastatic melanoma is discovered in the soft tissue of the abdomen and in the skin and subcutaneous tissue of the groin in late 2007? See Discussion.

4/20/06: skin left lateral thorax, excision: Pedunculated malignant melanoma, 0.5 CM in height, Clark's level 3, Breslow depth 0.5 CM, superficial ulceration noted. No host response. Margins clear.

6/19/06: Four sentinel LNs negative. Interferon therapy.

10/30/07: FNA of soft tissue, left lower abdomen: consistent with metastatic melanoma.

12/20/07 A) sentinel lymph node, left groin, biopsy: No morphologic or immunophenotypic findings support for metastatic melanoma (see comment). B) skin and subcutaneous tissue, left groin, excisional biopsy: Metastatic malignant melanoma (see comment). Lymphovascular invasion identified. Margins free of melanoma. Melanoma 1.5 MM from the closest designated deep margin and 5 MM from the designated 6:00 margin. C) skin, left groin/additional inferior margin, excisional biopsy: No significant histopathologic abnormality. No evidence of villus or melanoma or malignancy. Comment: A 0.8 cm metastatic nodular melanoma is present in the adipose tissue. The underlying skin is unremarkable. There is no evidence of ulceration, melanocytic lesion, melanoma in situ, or regression of melanoma. Block A1 is sent for immunohistochemical studies. The immunophenotypic findings provide no support for metastatic melanoma in lymph node. Please see the immunohistochemical study. The primary MD states "Recurrent intransit mets, left groin."

 For cases diagnosed 2007 or later, this is a single primary, melanoma of the thorax 4/20/06. The subsequent reports mention metastases, but do not document another primary. Do not count metastatic lesions as new primaries. 2008
20081077 MP/H Rules--Ovary: How do you code histology for a diagnosis of "clear cell CA, predominately cystic." For cases diagnosed 2007 or later, assign histology code 8310 [Clear cell carcinoma]. Cystic describes the appearance of the tumor. Clear cell is the histologic type. Code clear cell carcinoma 8310/3. Rule H11 applies. 2008
20071108 MP/H Rules--Ovary: Rule M7 states bilateral epithelial tumors (8000-8799) are reportable as a single primary. Are bilateral germ cell tumors of the ovary (e.g., dysgerminoma (9060/3)) that occur simultaneously now reported as two primaries? For cases diagnosed 2007 or later, rule M7 applies to ovarian epithelial tumors with ICD-O-3 histology codes between 8000 and 8799. Rule M7 does not apply to dysgerminoma which is coded to 9060. Go on to the next rule, M8 and abstract as multiple primaries, left and right. 2007
20081120 MP/H Rules--Sarcoma: How many primaries should be abstracted for chondrosarcoma of right toe in 2002, of right lower leg in 2006 and right tibia in 2007? See Discussion. A patient had a myxoid chondrosarcoma of the right toe in 2002. This was amputated and staged as T2 - high grade. Patient had a recurrence in the lower right leg in 2006. At this time he had a below knee amputation. The tumor in 2006 was stated to be similar histologically to the 2002 tumor with pathologic comparison done. Then in 2007 the patient presents with pain in right knee and stump. CT says compatible with recurrent disease, but no copies of path sent. Patient then had an above knee amputation, with diagnosis of clinically recurrent chondrosarcoma of tibia. How many primaries should be abstracted? Is 2007 diagnosis a new primary?

For cases diagnosed 2007 or later:

Abstract two primaries in this case, 2002 and 2007.

The first primary was diagnosed in 2002. The 2006 diagnosis would not be a new primary according to the rules in effect at that time (2004 SEER manual, page 11, rule 5, exception 1).

Use the current MP/H rules to compare the 2007 diagnosis to the 2002 diagnosis. Start with rule M3 and stop at rule M10. The 2007 diagnosis is a separate primary.

 2008
20071128 MP/H Rules--Urinary: How many primaries are abstracted when a patient has a May 2000 invasive papillary transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder, a November 2004 invasive papillary transitional cell carcinoma of the right ureter and a May 2007 urothelial carcinoma in situ of both the left and right ureters?

For cases diagnosed 2007 or later:

Using the pre-2007 multiple primary rules, the PTCC of the bladder in 2000 and the invasive TCC of the right ureter in Nov. 2004 would have been abstracted as separate primaries.

Use the 2007 MP/H rules to evaluate the May 2007 diagnosis. Start with rule M3. Stop at rule M8. The May 2007 diagnosis is the same primary.

Rule M4 does not apply because of the 2000 bladder primary. A clarification will be added to M4 to stress that for the urinary rules, any urinary tumor up to the present point in time is counted when applying this rule.

 2007
20110140 MP/H Rules/Behavior--Breast: How are behavior and histology coded when the pathology report final diagnosis is "ductal carcinoma in situ and lobular carcinoma in situ" if the microscopic examination section of the same pathology report states there are "foci suspicious for microinvasive carcinoma"? See Discussion. The pathology report microscopic examination states, "focally, between ducts involved by DCIS, there are minute tubular structures associated with stromal fibrosis and chronic inflammation. These foci are suspicious for microinvasive carcinoma."

For cases diagnosed 2007 or later, code one primary with histology and behavior coded to 8522/2 [intraductal carcinoma and lobular carcinoma in situ].

The steps used to arrive at this decision are as follows

Open the Multiple Primary and Histology Coding Rules manual. Choose one of the three formats (i.e., flowchart, matrix or text) under the Breast Histology rules. The module you use depends on the behavior and number of tumors identified in the primary site. The information provided does not specify whether this was a single tumor with DCIS and LCIS or multiple tumors with DCIS and LCIS. In this case, the number of tumors does not change the histology code for this patient. For this example, assume this disease process was a single tumor.

Start at the SINGLE TUMOR: In Situ Carcinoma Only module. The rules are intended to be reviewed in consecutive order from Rule H1 to Rule H8. Stop at the first rule that applies to the case you are processing. Code the histology as 8522/2 (intraductal carcinoma and lobular carcinoma in situ) when there is a combination of in situ lobular (LCIS) [8520] and intraductal carcinoma (DCIS).

Do not code the behavior as invasive in this case. The pathologist indicated that these findings were "suspicious" but not definite in the microscopic examination. If the pathologist decided that this was truly an invasive tubular element, it would have been included in the final diagnosis.

2011