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20240077 | 2024 SEER Manual/Primary Site--Retroperitoneum: What is the primary site code for a final diagnosis of endometrioid adenocarcinoma from a biopsy of a right retroperitoneal mass? See Discussion. |
An 80-year-old post-menopausal female (status post hysterectomy for benign reasons) presents with a retroperitoneal mass on imaging. The pre-operative imaging shows the cervix and uterus are absent. Patient undergoes a robotic left salpingo-oophorectomy with biopsy of the retroperitoneal mass. |
Code Primary Site to C480 (retroperitoneum). Endometrial tissue may "break away” from the uterus and implant throughout the pelvic and abdominal cavities. This can occur in patients who suffer from endometriosis. This tissue remains behind when surgical removal of the uterus is done. Common sites of implantation are colon, peritoneum, retroperitoneum, and bladder. These cells may become malignant. When the uterus is no longer present (patient had surgical removal), code the site where the carcinoma was identified. The site-morphology combination of C480 and 8380/3 was designated as an unlikely site-morphology combination by the Cancer PathCHART expert pathologist review, as this is a rare type of tumor. Assign a value of 1 in the Over-ride Site/Type [2030] data item in order to pass the Primary Site, Morphology-Type, Beh ICDO3, 2024 (SEER) edit. |
2024 |
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20240024 | Reportability/Histology: Is angiomyxoma (this includes borderline or behavior code /1 cases) of the soft tissue reportable? Can you provide us with coding guidelines for angiomyxoma for when its reportable or not reportable? |
Do not report angiomyxoma. ICD-O-3.2 assigns 8841/0 to this benign tumor. This includes superficial and deep (aggressive) angiomyxoma. |
2024 | |
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20240047 | Reportability/Histology--Endometrium: Is “high grade serous intraepithelial neoplasm” of the endometrium reportable? See Discussion. |
The patient had a 2023 endometrial polypectomy and curettage with final diagnosis of “at least serous intraepithelial neoplasia arising in association with an endometrial polyp.” Diagnosis comment states, “There are multiple tissue fragments with highly atypical glandular lining consistent with a high-grade serous neoplasm. There are focal areas which are suspicious, but not conclusive, for stromal invasion.” Subsequent hysterectomy and BSO showed no residual carcinoma. According to previous SINQ 20210043, serous tubal intraepithelial neoplasm (STIN) is reportable when stated to be high grade. Does the same logic apply to a similar neoplasm in the endometrium and/or endometrial polyp? |
Report high grade serous intraepithelial neoplasm of the endometrium. |
2024 |
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20240008 | Solid Tumor Rules/Histology--Brain and CNS: Should the term “diffuse” be added to Note 2 in the Non-Malignant Central Nervous System (CNS) Solid Tumor Rules, Table 6: Specific Histologies, NOS, and Subtypes/Variants, for the papillary glioneuronal tumor 9509/1? See Discussion. |
Should Note 2 state, "Beginning with cases diagnosed 1/1/2023 forward, diffuse leptomeningeal glioneuronal tumor is coded 9509/3? See the Malignant CNS rules." Currently the Note only states, "leptomeningeal glioneuronal tumor," but the histology that changed behavior is listed in both Table 6, Column 1 (Non-Malignant CNS) and Table 3 (Malignant CNS) as, "Diffuse leptomeningeal glioneuronal tumor." |
The correct term is diffuse leptomeningeal glioneuronal tumor listed as a synonym in Column 2. We will add the term diffuse in Note 2, Column 1 with the 2025 updates. In the meantime, you can add "diffuse" to your pdf version until the update is published. |
2024 |
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20240029 | Solid Tumor Rules/Multiple Primaries--Head and Neck: Is a 11/2023 diagnosis of invasive squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in lower gum (C031) a new primary and what rules apply for a patient with 09/2017 invasive SCC of lower gum (C031) and 05/2022 invasive SCC of lateral tongue (C023)? See Discussion. |
The 11/2023 lower gum tumor is a separate tumor occurring after a disease-free interval, so we know the Head and Neck Multiple Tumors Module applies. However, our staff is having difficulty applying the rules to this particular scenario with consistent results. Is the 11/2023 SCC a non-reportable recurrence per M12, since M4 is ignored due to patient’s prior 2017 C031 (lower gum) primary, and then M6 is ignored due to patient’s prior 05/2022 C023 primary? Or is the 11/2023 SCC a new primary per M4, since the last diagnosis was in a site differing at the third character (C03 vs C02)? If M4 does not apply due to patient's previous C03 primary, then does M6 apply since it has been more than 5 years since the previous C03 primary? |
Abstract three primaries for the scenario you describe.
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2024 |
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20240019 | Solid Tumor Rules/Histology--Head and Neck, Other Sites: Do human papilloma virus (HPV) histologies that occur with subtype/variants of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in various sites apply only to sites in Solid Tumor Rules, Head and Neck, Table 5 and Other Sites, Table 23? See Discussion. |
The 2024 Solid Tumor Rules, Table 5: Tumors of the Oropharynx, Base of Tongue, Tonsils, Adenoids contain notes that say beginning 1/1/2022, keratinizing or non-keratinizing SCCs, HPV positive or HPV negative, are coded 8085 or 8086, respectively, for sites listed in the Head and Neck Solid Tumor Rules, Table 5 only. Table 5 introductory section also states for cases diagnosed 1/1/2023 forward: “When the diagnosis is a subtype/variant of squamous cell carcinoma and HPV status is also noted, code the subtype/variant.” This latter instruction is also included in Other Sites Table 23 (Penis and Scrotum Histologies) as a “Penis Coding Note.” Do these instructions ONLY apply to sites on those tables (and only to Penis or to Scrotum also in Table 23)? How should we code HPV-related keratinizing/non-keratinizing or other subtype/variant SCCs, for sites NOT on those tables, given the fact that only the more common histologies are listed in the Solid Tumor tables? For example, we recently reviewed a case with HPV-positive basaloid squamous cell carcinoma of the anus (C21.0). |
Code the specific histology as stated by the pathologist according to the site-specific instructions in the Solid Tumor Rules. When the histology provides a subtype/variant in addition to the HPV histology codes, code the subtype/variant as it is important to capture this histology as in the example provided. the instruction to code the subtype/variant over 8085 or 8086 applies to the following sites: oropharynx, cervix, vagina, vulva, anus, and penis. A note will be added indicating this in 2025. Per 2024 Cancer PathCHART expert pathologist review, morphology codes 8085/3 and/or 8086/3 are valid and applicable to head and neck, oropharynx, cervix, vagina, vulva, fallopian tube, anus, and penis (reference: Cancer PathCHART: Product Downloads and Timelines). Other coding resources will be updated to reflect these changes in 2025. |
2024 |
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20240065 | Solid Tumor Rules/Histology--Ovary: What is the histology code for an ovarian primary with a pathology report final diagnosis of “Small-Cell Carcinoma (Hypercalcemic Type), Large-Cell Variant” diagnosed in 2012 (using the Multiple Primaries H rules) and one diagnosed in 2024 (using the Solid Tumor Rules)? See Discussion. |
2012 Total abdominal hysterectomy - bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy Primary Site – Ovary, Right Histology - Small-Cell Carcinoma (Hypercalcemic Type), Large-Cell Variant 2024 Total abdominal hysterectomy - bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy Primary Site – Ovary, Left Histology - Small-Cell Carcinoma (Hypercalcemic Type), Large-Cell Variant |
Abstract this case as a single primary. Code as 8044/3 (small cell carcinoma, hypercalcemic type) listed in the Other Sites Solid Tumor Rules, Table 13. Small cell carcinoma, large cell variant, is a subtype of small cell carcinoma, hypercalcemic type. This table does not include all possible histologies. WHO Classification of Female Genital Tumors, 5th edition, states: Small cell carcinoma of the ovary, hypercalcemic type, is rare, accounting for < 1% of ovarian tumors. Small cell carcinomas, hypercalcemic type, are usually large, with a mean size of 15 cm (range: 6–26 cm). Large cells are present (in varying numbers) in half of these tumors, which are designated “small cell carcinoma, large cell subtype” if the large cells are predominant (which is rare). |
2024 |
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20240059 | Update to the Current Manual/SEER*RSA--SEER Site-specific Factor 1: The 2024 SEER Manual and SEER*RSA say that Codes 10-51 are hierarchical; use the highest code that applies (10 is highest, 51 is lowest). Should the guidance say that 51 is highest, 10 is lowest since code 10 is a HPV negative p16 test? |
Assign the highest code with 51 as the highest and 10 the lowest when there is more than one test performed with differing results. The SEER Manual will be updated in the 2025 release. SEER*RSA will be updated in a future release, version 3.3 in 2026, as version 3.2 has been updated for 2025. |
2024 | |
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20240045 | Reportability/Ambiguous Terminology--Prostate: Should cases be reported and abstracted based on ambiguous terminology, e.g., suspicious for prostate cancer, when the physician is not treating the case as malignant? See Discussion. |
Please comment on these specific scenarios.
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For each of your scenarios, the medical record information indicates that the case is not reportable based on physician opinion. Do not abstract these cases. Remember that the ambiguous terms list is to be used as a last resort. The ideal way to approach abstracting situations when the medical record is not clear is to follow up with the physician. If the physician is not available, the medical record, and any other pertinent reports (e.g., pathology, etc.) should be read closely for the required information. See page 19 in the SEER Manual, https://seer.cancer.gov/manuals/2024/SPCSM_2024_MainDoc.pdf |
2024 |
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20240037 | Solid Tumor Rules/Histology--Bladder: How is histology coded for a bladder tumor when the diagnosis is 95% large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma and 5% high grade urothelial carcinoma of no special type? See Discussion. |
In the 2024 Solid Tumor Rules update, the small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma row in Table 2 was changed. The NOS histology became neuroendocrine carcinoma, NOS (8246) and both large cell and small cell neuroendocrine carcinomas (8013 and 8041, respectively) became the subtype/variants. This change impacts Rule H4 but Rule H4 was not updated. Rule H4 still refers to small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma as being the NOS histology. In the prior STR versions, it was clear the tumor in question would be coded as 8045 per Rule H4 and Table 2. Considering Rule H4 was not updated according to the changes for Table 2, does histology 8045 still apply to this diagnosis? There is currently no way to arrive at a histology for this case. Does Rule H4, bullet 3 need to be updated to indicate, “subtype/variant of neuroendocrine carcinoma mixed with any other carcinoma (does not apply to sarcoma)”? |
Assign 8013/3 (combined large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma). There are two histologies present: large cell NEC and urothelial. Literature search found primary large cell NEC of the bladder is extremely rare with less than 20 reported cases. This case does not fall into the site-specific rules and given it's raity, a specific rule for this situation was not and will not be added to the Bladder rules. See #1, Example 2, in the general instructions for coding histology. |
2024 |
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