| Report | Question ID | Question | Discussion | Answer | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
20220031 | Tumor Size/Neoadjuvant Treatment: If a patient discontinues neoadjuvant therapy and then has surgery, how is the pathologic tumor size coded with the pathologic tumor size greater than the clinical tumor size? Currently, we are instructed to code 999 for the pathologic tumor size when neoadjuvant therapy is given; what happens when neoadjuvant chemotherapy is discontinued after 3 cycles (plan for 4 cycles)? |
Assign 999 for pathologic tumor size when patient has received neoadjuvant therapy, even when neo-adjuvant therapy is not completed. Describe the details in text fields. |
2022 | |
|
|
20220034 | First Course Treatment--Lymphoma: Is the first round of systemic therapy coded as first course of therapy or is it all the therapy given to achieve remission for a lymphoma case with multiple treatments? See Discussion. |
Lymphoma case diagnosed in 2021: The patient had first round of systemic therapy as documented in the treatment plan and a post-chemotherapy PET scan that showed residual disease. The patient then had a different combination of systemic therapy and still had some residual disease. The patient was given a third round of different combination of systemic therapy in preparation for stem cell transplant. According to the physician post-stem cell transplant note, the patient achieved complete remission. Is the first course of therapy the first round of systemic therapy only or is it all the therapy given to achieve remission? It seems like only the first round of systemic therapy is first course of therapy for both leukemia and lymphoma in the hematopoietic manual. I thought all treatment for all hematopoietic cases was first course until remission achieved or progression was evident. |
Code all treatments the patient received as first course of treatment. For lymphoma and leukemia, first course of treatment may include first-line, second-line, consolidation, maintenance, salvage, etc., any treatment to achieve remission. We have added this to the agenda for the 2024 updates to the Hematopoietic Manual and Database. |
2022 |
|
|
20220027 | Reportability/Heme & Lymphoid Neoplasms--CNS: Is ALK-positive histiocytosis, primary site Central Nervous System (CNS), reportable, and is the correct histology code 9750/3? See Discussion. |
2022 case: Surgical Pathology Report-spinal cord tumor, biopsies: ALK-positive neoplasm most consistent with ALK-positive histiocytosis. |
Report this 2022 case of ALK-positive histiocytosis using histology code 9751/3, Langerhans cell histiocytosis, disseminated. Use text fields to document that this is a case of ALK-positive histiocytosis. This term may be assigned a new code once the 5th edition of the Hematopoietic WHO Blue Book is released. |
2022 |
|
|
20220006 | Histology/Brain and CNS: How is histology coded for a 2021 diagnosis of “neuroepithelial tumor with PATZ1-EWSR1 fusion, not elsewhere classified” found during a right thalamic mass resection? See Discussion. |
Patient has a remote history of a right thalamic mass status-post two resections; reported as malignant oligodendroglioma (pathology not received) and chemo/radiation therapy, who recently presented with persistent headaches. Imaging revealed a 3.4 cm heterogeneous lobulated right thalamic mass with coarse calcifications and a probable cystic component. Pathologist indicates the histologic and immunophenotypic features of this neoplasm are that of relatively circumscribed neuroepithelial tumor without high grade features (mitotic activity, microvascular proliferation, necrosis). Molecularly this neoplasm is characterized by a PATZ1-EWSR1 fusion, which has recently been proposed to be a distinct neuroepithelial tumor entity with a broad histological spectrum. |
Assign 8000/1. Neuroepithelial tumor with PATZ1-EWSR1 fusion, not elsewhere classified, is not recognized as a distinct entity at this time. It is not listed in ICD-O-3.2 or in the 5th edition of the WHO CNS classification. |
2022 |
|
|
20230075 | EOD/Summary Stage--Eye: How is stage coded for a patient with extranodal non-Hodgkin lymphoma involving bilateral choroids (single focus, both sites) and no lymph node involvement? Since the eyes are a paired site, is this two separate extranodal sites? If so, there are no Summary Stage or EOD tumor codes that best fit this scenario. |
Assign as Stage IV as recommended by our expert hematological oncologist. This is a rare occurrence and this type of presentation does not fit the definition of intraocular extension. Stage IV is probably the best stage for this type of presentation, since there are two extranodal organs involved, even though they involve a bilateral site. EOD Primary Tumor: 700 SS: 7 (Distant) |
2023 | |
|
|
20230028 | Histology--Vulva: How is the histology coded for vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia III (VIN III)/Squamous cell carcinoma in situ from a pathology report of the vulva, 8070/2 for squamous cell carcinoma in situ or 8077/2 for VIN III? The rules do not discuss this particular situation. |
Assign 8077/2 for high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion, VIN 3 in this case. The WHO Classification of Female Genital Tumors, 5th edition, states that squamous intraepithelial lesions (SILs) of the vulva are also known as vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia, HPV-associated. The term squamous cell carcinoma in situ is not recommended. |
2023 | |
|
|
20230048 | Solid Tumor Rules/Histology--Uterine Corpus: How is histology coded for an epithelioid and myxoid leiomyosarcoma of the myometrium? See Discussion. |
Patient had a total abdominal hysterectomy-bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy performed in January 2023 with final diagnosis of myxoid and epithelioid leiomyosarcoma. Diagnosis comment states: The tumor is 15 cm per report. It grows in nests and poorly formed interanastomosing trabeculae and cords that are separated by abundant myxoid background. The cells have an epithelioid morphology with eosinophilic cytoplasm, large nuclei, and very prominent nucleoli. The mitotic activity is overall low ranging from 1 to 3/10 HPFs. Immunohistochemical stains performed at the outside hospital showed diffuse positivity for SMA, desmin, caldesmon, and PR. They are negative for CD10, claudin-4, calretinin, HBM45, MART1 (rare weakly positive cells), PANCK, and SOX10. This immunohistochemical profile supports a smooth muscle derivation of this neoplasm. As this tumor is extensively myxoid, diagnostic criteria differ from the spindle cell leiomyosarcoma. Per Solid Tumor Rules Other Sites, Table 16: Uterine Corpus Histologies, Epithelioid Leiomyosarcoma (8891/3) and Myxoid Leiomyosarcoma (8896/3) are both subtypes of Sarcoma, NOS (8800/3). Per Rule H21, use a combination code when there are multiple specific histologies AND the combination is listed in Table 2 OR there are coding instructions for the combination in the applicable histology Tables 3-21 OR you receive a combination code from Ask A SEER Registrar. Since there is no combination listed in Table 2 and there is no instruction for the combination in Table 16, how should the histology be coded for this tumor? |
Assign code 8891/3 (epithelioid leiomyosarcoma) as cells were described as have an epithelioid morphology; whereas, myxoid was used as a descriptive term and not a specific histologic type. |
2023 |
|
|
20230043 | Solid Tumor Rules/Histology--Lung: What is the histology code for a lung tumor diagnosed as “Minimally invasive adenocarcinoma, mixed mucinous and non-mucinous, grade 1, lepidic-predominant”? See Discussion. |
The resection pathology report final diagnosis indicates this is both mixed mucinous and non-mucinous with a lepidic predominant component. The pathologist notes this is “Lepidic: 75%. Acinar: 25%.” The percentage of the mucinous component is not documented. Rule H1, Note 1, states “When mucinous carcinoma is mixed with another histology, such as adenocarcinoma and mucinous carcinoma, code mucinous ONLY when mucinous is documented to be greater than 50% of the tumor.” While mixed invasive mucinous and non-mucinous carcinoma is included in Table 2 (Combination/Mixed Histology Codes) without a required percentage, it is unclear whether one should move past Rule H7 and use Rule H8 to code this combination histology code. Rule H7 would instruct one to code the histology to lepidic adenocarcinoma (adenocarcinoma, lepidic predominant) based on the percentage of the lepidic component in the tumor. However, this does not address the mixed mucinous and non-mucinous diagnosis. Which H Rule and histology apply to this case? |
Assign histology code 8254/3 (mixed invasive mucinous and non-mucinous adenocarcinoma) to this lung tumor using Lung Solid Tumor Rules, Rule H4. This is a new code/term approved by IARC/WHO for ICD-O. Rule H4 instructs one to code the histology when only one histology is present. In this case, the pathologist indicates the tumor is mixed mucinous and non-mucinous histologies. The non-mucinous carcinoma that is seen in this mixed histology may be identified as: Adenocarcinoma in situ, minimally invasive adenocarcinoma, or lepidic predominant adenocarcinoma. In this case it is lepidic predominant adenocarcinoma. Lepidic is a recognized histology in lung. It is not unusual for the pathologist to indicate mixed non-muncinous and mucinous adenocarcinoma AND also list the non-mucinous subytpe. It is important to capture both mucinous and non-mucinous histologies which drives treatment, etc. |
2023 |
|
|
20230017 | Solid Tumor Rules/Multiple Primaries--Rectum/Anal Canal: How many primaries are accessioned and how should histology be coded for a 2021 abdominoperineal resection showing invasive adenocarcinoma of distal rectum and associated Paget disease of the anal mucosa and perianal skin? See Discussion. |
The synoptic report calls this “Invasive adenocarcinoma with secondary Paget disease of anal mucosa and perianal skin.” The tumor size is listed as “2.1 x 1.7 x 0.7 cm, including associated advanced adenoma; size does not include the extent of the associated Paget disease, which extends for at least 2 cm distally.” Clinically this is called an incidentally discovered Paget’s disease. It is unclear if this is a collision tumor that should be abstracted as separate primaries, or if this is a single tumor with underlying Paget’s disease (similar to that described in Other Sites Rule H26). If this is a single rectal tumor, there does not appear to be an H rule for this scenario. |
Abstract two primaries using rule M4 of the Colon rules or rule M13 of Other Sites: 1. Invasive adenocarcinoma of distal rectum and 2. Paget disease of the anal mucosa / perianal skin (determine site of origin and code primary site accordingly). The rectum and the anus are separate sites and the histologies differ in each site. The WHO Classification of Digestive System Tumors, 5th edition, states that in addition to secondary anal Paget disease arising from anal canal adenocarcinoma, or rarely, adenoma without documented invasive disease, secondary Paget cells may be contiguous with the underlying neoplasm or manifest at different at sites distinctly away from it (with skip lesions). Document the details in the appropriate text fields. |
2023 |
|
|
20230056 | Reportability/Histology--Heme and Lymphoid Neoplasms: What is the histology code for nodular lymphocyte predominant B cell lymphoma that is never called Hodgkin lymphoma? Is it acceptable to record the histology code for nodular lymphocyte predominant Hodgkin lymphoma, (9659/3)? See Discussion. |
Patient has a history of human immunodeficiency virus and diffuse large B cell lymphoma diagnosed in 2012, and is status/post systemic therapy and in remission since completing first course treatment. In 2022, the patient has imaging suspicious for recurrence. A biopsy of a deep left cervical lymph node showed atypical lymphoid infiltrate with the comment: “This is a challenging case. The constellation of findings is most in keeping with early / focal and subtle involvement by a nodular lymphocyte predominant B-cell lymphoma. We find no evidence of involvement by a diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.” The managing physician later states, “Cervical lymph node biopsy (06/2022) was consistent with nodular lymphocyte predominant B cell lymphoma.” |
According to the 5th edition WHO Blue Book for Hematopoietic Neoplasms, Beta Version, (not released yet), nodular lymphocyte predominant B-cell lymphoma is an alternate name for 9659/3. We will update the Heme database once the 5th edition is released in print. |
2023 |
Home
