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Report Produced: 05/02/2026 13:16 PM

Report Question ID Question Discussion Answer Year
20120071

Primary site--Heme & Lymphoid Neoplasms: How is the primary site coded and what rule applies if the patient has involvement of multiple organs and one lymph node chain with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma? See Discussion.

In 2011 the patient was diagnosed with a 15 cm mass involving the terminal ileum, cecum and adjacent mesentery. The pathology was positive for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. A staging PET/CT revealed a mass at the base of tongue and a left cervical lymph node. The biopsy of the base of tongue also showed DLBCL.

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

Apply rule PH22 to code the primary site to C779 [lymph nodes, NOS].

While the pathology does not indicate that this particular case represents a B-cell lymphoma, unclassifiable with features intermediate between DLBCL and Burkitt variant, in the Abstractor Notes section of the Heme DB for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma it does indicate that its presentation, "may have lesions in ileocecal region or jaws. Bone marrow and peripheral blood may be involved. Patients present with lymphadenopathy or mass lesions in extranodal site." This patient does have involvement of two extranodal sites and involvement of regional lymph nodes for only one of those sites.

PH22 indicates one is to code the primary site to C77.9 [lymph nodes, NOS] when lymphoma is present in multiple organs and lymph nodes that are not regional for that organ and the origin cannot be determined even after consulting the physician. There are two extranodal sites of involvement and only one chain of lymph nodes is regional to one of those sites so this rule applies.

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.

 2012
20120062

MP/H Rules/Multiple primaries--Breast: How many primaries are accessioned if a patient has a history of breast cancer in 2006 treated with bilateral mastectomies and in 2011 is found to have invasive carcinoma in "breast tissue, right lumpectomy"? See Discussion.

Patient was originally diagnosed in June 2006, with right breast cancer and underwent lumpectomy and chemotherapy. This was followed by a bilateral mastectomy with reconstruction in January of 2007 that showed no residual tumor in the breast but 1 positive right axillary lymph node. The patient started Arimidex in May 2007 and had ongoing follow-up.

In November 2011, the patient noted a "lump to her right upper reconstructed breast at approximately 2:00." Needle biopsy in December 2011 showed invasive carcinoma and the patient underwent a lumpectomy. The lumpectomy pathology report stated, "Breast tissue, right, lumpectomy: poorly differentiated infiltrating ductal cancer." There is no comparison of the current pathology to the previous pathology, as the previous lumpectomy/mastectomy was done at another facility. The patient is being treated at this facility with radiation as if this is a "recurrent/persistent right sided breast cancer."

Should this case be classified as a new primary because the pathology report indicates the malignancy was in breast tissue? Or is this actually a chest wall recurrence given the fact that the patient was previously treated with bilateral mastectomies? Should this case be treated as indicated in SINQ 20110111?

For cases diagnosed 2007 or later, accession two primaries, right breast cancer diagnosed in June 2006 and a subsequent right breast primary diagnosed in December 2011.

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 MP rules because site specific rules exist for this primary.

Start at the MULTIPLE TUMORS module, rule M4. The rules are intended to be reviewed in consecutive order within a module. Accession two primaries, tumors diagnosed more than five (5) years apart are multiple primaries.

If the pathology report stated the tumor originated in residual breast tissue, then this is a new tumor and, therefore, a new primary per rule M5. If the pathology report stated the tumor arose in the chest wall and/or there is no designation of residual breast tissue, then this is a regional metastasis and not a new primary.

 2012
20120064

Reportability--Heme & Lymphoid Neoplasms: If hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis treated with several rounds of chemotherapy is reportable, what is the primary site?

Patient was diagnosed with hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis on blood and bone marrow biopsy. This was also referred to in the chart as hemophagocytosis and hemophagocytic syndrome. Hemophagocytic syndrome is listed in the Heme DB as 9724/3. The patient had several rounds of fairly aggressive chemotherapy. Would the correct primary site for histology 9724/3 be C421 [bone marrow], or C779 [lymph nodes, NOS]? See SINQ 20100113.

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

Hemophagocytic syndrome, also known as hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), is not reportable. Per Appendix F, HLH is caused by an over stimulated immune system (infection, etc.). It is a clinical syndrome associated with a variety of underlying conditions. To be reportable, a child's diagnosis must state "fulminant hemophagocytic syndrome" to be reportable (9724/3). This is not the situation in this case.

"Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis" is also listed in Appendix F: Non-Reportable List for Hematopoietic Diseases.

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.

 2012
20120039

Primary site--Heme & Lymphoid Neoplasms: What primary site and heme rule applies when a PET scan shows bilateral renal masses, hypermetabolic liver lesions and retroperitoneal lymphadenopathy, a right kidney biopsy was positive for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, and the bone marrow biopsy was negative? See Discussion.

Patient has a history of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). February 2011 abdomen/pelvis x-ray showed development of bilateral renal masses. April 2011 PET scan showed intense areas of hypermetabolic activity corresponding to known bilateral renal masses, new hypermetabolic liver lesions, as well as left upper retroperitoneal lymphadenopathy. All findings are worrisome for malignancy. March 2011 right kidney mass biopsy was positive for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Bone marrow biopsy was negative for lymphoma.

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

Per Rule PH25, code the primary site of the diffuse large B-cell lymphoma to C649 (kidneys) and laterality to 4 (bilateral). Per PH25, code the primary site to the organ when a lymphoma is present in an and that . This patient had involvement of an organ (bilateral kidneys) as well as regional lymph nodes for that organ. The retroperitoneal lymph nodes are regional for the kidney.

The diffuse large B-cell lymphoma is an acute transformation of the chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Because the DLBCL occurred more than 21 days after the CLL, it is a new primary per Rule M10.

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.

 2012
20120058 Multiple primaries--Heme & Lymphoid Neoplasms: How many primaries are to be accessioned when the patient is diagnosed with an acute neoplasm (diffuse large B-cell lymphoma) per a pathology report and is subsequently diagnosed clinically with a chronic neoplasm (chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma) less than 21 days later? See Discussion.

The patient was diagnosed with an extranodal DLBCL on a biopsy of the stomach. A bone marrow biopsy performed 16 days later showed no DLBCL, but demonstrated an abnormal CD5-positive B-cell population that was subsequently referred to as CLL/SLL by the physician. The peripheral blood was negative and showed only moderate thrombocytopenia.

Does rule M10 apply in this case? Abstract the acute neoplasm as a single primary (DLBCL) as there was only one pathology specimen (stomach biopsy) proving DLBCL and the bone marrow did not definitively identify CLL/SLL.

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

This case should be accessioned as two primaries per Rule M11. Code the histology of one primary to 9680/3 [diffuse large B-cell lymphoma], the acute neoplasm. Code the histology for the second primary to 9823/3 [chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma], the chronic neoplasm.

Per Rule M11, abstract as multiple primaries when both a chronic and acute neoplasm are diagnosed simultaneously or less than or equal to 21 days apart AND there is documentation of two pathology specimens, one confirming the chronic neoplasm (bone marrow biopsy) and one confirming the acute neoplasm (stomach biopsy).

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.

2012
20120055 Surgery of Primary Site--Kidney, renal pelvis: How do you code a laparoscopic renal mass core biopsy followed by cryoablation of the tumor? See Discussion. The note under the local tumor destruction codes states "No specimen sent to pathology from this surgical event 10-15." The patient had a pathologic specimen submitted from his core biopsy, but this was not a tumor excision or excisional biopsy [codes 20, 26-27]. Is the correct surgery code 13 [cryosurgery] because the tumor was only ablated and not excised, or surgery code 23 [any combination of 20 or 26-27 with cryosurgery] because a pathology specimen was submitted? Code for Surgery of Primary Site to 13 [Cryosurgery]. While the core biopsy provided a pathology specimen, it is not coded as surgery of the primary site. 2012
20120048 MP/H Rules/Primary site: Can you clarify how you interpreted the term "synchronous" to appropriately code the primary site to C68.9 [urinary tract] for SINQ 20110119 and did not use that code for SINQ 20100025 when both cases used MP/H Rule M8 to determine the number of primaries? See Discussion.

In SINQ 20100025 a patient was diagnosed with multiple urinary system tumors over a year apart. Rule M8 applies (single primary) and the primary site was left coded to the original primary site, C65.9 [renal pelvis]. In SINQ 20110119 a patient is diagnosed with multiple urinary system tumors within a month of each other, again rule M8 applies (single primary) and the primary site was coded to C68.9 [urinary system, NOS].

In both cases, rule M8 applies. However, the tumors were not diagnosed synchronously (e.g., one month apart in one case and greater than one year apart in the other). When the SINQ answer states, "same time" or "synchronous" does this mean during the same event? If not, what is the time range for "same time" or "synchronous"?

Please clarify when it is appropriate to code the primary site to C68.9 [urinary system, NOS] for Rule M8 and when it is not.

For the purpose of applying the MP/H rules, the term "synchronous" means that the two diagnoses occurred at the same time or less than or equal to 60 days apart.

The case in SINQ 20100025 was not synchronous. The first lesion in the renal pelvis [C65.9] occurred in 1/08 and the subsequent tumors were diagnosed in 5/09, more than one year apart. In this case, you do not go back to change the primary site code on the original abstract.

The case in SINQ 20110119 was diagnosed synchronously, the first lesion in the bladder [C67.9] was diagnosed in 11/09 and the second lesion in the renal pelvis [C65.9] was diagnosed in 12/09, less than 60 days apart. Because the lesions were synchronous, the primary site is coded urinary system, NOS [C68.9].

2012
20120063 Reportability--Pancreas: Are neuroendocrine "tumors" reportable and are they synonymous with neuroendocrine "carcinoma"? See Discussion. Example: Pancreatic mass that probably represents a neuroendocrine tumor is staged as cT2N0M0.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (NET) are malignant. They are reportable.

For pancreas primaries, code NET, G1 (well differentiated) to 8240/3; NET G2 (moderately differentiated) to 8249/3; and nonfunctional NET, GI or G2 to 8150/3.

The histology code for neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC) is 8246/3, large cell NEC is 8013/3 and small cell NEC is 8041/3.

2012
20120093 MP/H Rules/Multiple primaries -- Ovary: How many primaries are to be accessioned and what rule applies when a patient has a serous carcinoma of the right ovary treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by a debulking surgery that revealed a serous tubal intraepithelial carcinoma of the left fallopian tube?

For cases diagnosed 2007 or later, accession two primaries, serous carcinoma of the right ovary and serous tubal intraepithelial carcinoma of the left fallopian tube based on the information provided.

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 neither the ovary nor fallopian tube 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. The patient has multiple tumors with ICD-O-3 topography codes that are different at the third character (Cxx) and therefore this case should be accessioned as a multiple primary.

It could be helpful to know the extent of involvement noted prior to neoadjuvant therapy and debulking surgery. For example, if the patient had widely metastatic disease throughout the entire pelvis prior to the initiation of treatment, the answer may have been different.

2012
20120034

Primary site--Brain and CNS: How is the primary site to be coded if a clinician used an MRI to diagnose a left cerebellar venous angioma? See Discussion.

According to the WHO Classification of Brain/CNS Tumors, code 9122/0 (venous angioma) does not appear under tumors of the cerebellum (C716).

Venous angiomas (9122/0) are not reportable wherever they arise. The primary site for venous angioma arising in the cerebellum is C490.  The combination of 9122/0 and C490 is not reportable. Venous angioma is a venous abnormality, currently referred to as a developmental venous anomaly (DVA).

2012