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Report Produced: 12/27/2025 09:11 AM

Report Question ID Question Discussion Answer Year
20160044

MP/H Rules/Histology--Sarcoma: What is the appropriate histology code for a final diagnosis of undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma and/or pleomorphic sarcoma, undifferentiated? See Discussion.

Does the Other Sites MP/H Rule H17 apply in this case, which results in coding the higher histology 8805/3 (undifferentiated sarcoma)? Or does the "undifferentiated" statement only refer to grade, which results in coding histology to 8802/3 (pleomorphic sarcoma)?

Assign 8802/34 to pleomorphic cell sarcoma/undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma. Pleomorphic is more important than undifferentiated when choosing the histology code in this case. Undifferentiated can be captured in the grade code.                           

2016
20160042

First course treatment/Date 1st surgical procedure--Colon: Should the date of a polypectomy be recorded in the Date of First Surgical Procedure field when the entire tumor is not removed by polypectomy? See Discussion.

The patient underwent a polypectomy. The endoscopy report noted the "single piece polypectomy" only partially removed the polyp/mass as the remainder of the mass was more fixed to the wall. The margins were not noted on the pathology report, but were presumably positive given the endoscopy report and the subsequent low anterior resection (LAR) that proved macroscopic residual tumor. Should the date of the polypectomy be recorded in Date of First Surgical Procedure field? Or would the date of the subsequent LAR be recorded since macroscopic residual tumor was present following polypectomy?

Record the date of the polypectomy as the date of first surgical procedure. Polypectomies are surgery for the purposes of cancer registry data collection regardless of whether or not there is residual tumor after the polypectomy.

2016
20160015

Multiple primaries--Heme & Lymphoid Neoplasms: Could you please clarify Note 2 found in Rule M10, which is " 'Transformations to' (acute neoplasms) and 'Transformations from' (chronic neoplasms) are defined for each applicable histology in the database." Do the neoplasms being considered have to contain the words 'chronic' and/or 'acute'?

Hematopoietic neoplasms that transform generally don't have 'chronic' or 'acute' as part of their preferred name. The 'chronic' and 'acute' designations are determined by the usual course of the neoplasm. Chronic neoplasms are generally slow growing while acute neoplasms grow fast and are more widespread. Not all Hematopoietic neoplasms transform. Each neoplasm that has the ability to transform has the transformations listed under the 'Transformations to' and/or 'Transformation from' sections in the Hematopoietic database.

For example, Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (histology code 9680/3) has no histologies/neoplasms listed under 'transformations to.' This means that this neoplasm does not transform to any other neoplasm. There are multiple histologies/neoplasms listed under 'Transformations from' indicating the neoplasms listed under the Transformations from are the chronic neoplasms, and DLBCL is the acute neoplasm. If DLBCL (9680/3) occurs at the same time, within 21 days, or greater than 21 days of any of the histologies listed under 'Transformations From,' rules M8-M13 apply. If DLBCL (9680/3) occurred at the same time as a neoplasm not listed in the Transformations sections, the acute and chronic rules do not apply.

2016
20160022

MP/H/Histology--Breast: What MP/H Rule, histology, and behavior code for a breast primary apply to the following?

2 foci DCIS, solid, high grade (Grade 3) w/microca++

Apply the Multiple Primaries/Histology, Breast Rule H3: DCIS and a more specific in situ are coded to the more specific histology term which in this case is solid. Code the histology to ductal carcinoma in situ, solid type (8230/2). Based on the information provided, there is no invasive component. The term "microca ++" means micro-calcifications are present, not micro carcinoma.

2016
20160055

Reportability--Bone: Is an "atypical cartilaginous tumor" reportable? See Discussion.

Patient had a core needle biopsy of the right acetabulum. Final diagnosis on the path report is: Atypical cartilaginous tumor (formerly chondrosarcoma, grade 1).

Is this cell type reportable? If so, is it reportable only because the pathologist recorded clarifying text in parentheses? If the text in the parentheses was not available, is the histology "atypical cartilaginous tumor" reportable?

Atypical cartilaginous tumor of bone is not reportable. The WHO terminology is "atypical cartilagenous tumor/chondrosarcoma grade I." WHO classifies this entity as low malignant potential (behavior code /1).

Chondrosarcoma grade II or grade III is reportable based on the WHO classification of malignant (behavior code /3).

2016
20160051

Diagnostic confirmation: When a CT guided Fine Needle Aspiration is performed and the pathology report indicates smears and cell block were prepared, if the diagnosis is positive for cancer, can you code diagnostic confirmation as 2 (positive cytology) because of the cell block?

Yes, assign diagnostic confirmation code 2 for diagnosis based on smears and cell block from CT guided FNA. This reply pertains to solid tumors.

2016
20160070

Primary site/MP/H Rules/Histology: What is the appropriate site and histology code for a tumor described as a "Large mass In suprasellar cistern encroaching into sphenoid & ethmoid sinuses", with the pathology described as "INI-1 deficient sinonasal undifferentiated carcinoma"? Of note, this patient has a history of a pituitary adenoma, resected overseas a few months prior to this diagnosis.

The primary site is unclear. The lesion is intracranial, but this may not be the primary site. In the absence of any additional information, assign C390, 8020/3. According to WHO, sinonasal undifferentiated carcinoma can involve the nasal cavity, maxillary antrum, and/or ethmoid sinus.

SMARCB1 (INI-1) is a tumor-suppressor gene located on chromosome 22q11.2. Tumors that showed loss of expression were SMARCB1-deficient tumors which are characterized by nests, sheets, and cords of cells without any histologic evidence of specific (eg, squamous or glandular) differentiation.

2016
20160016

MP/H Rules/Histology--Bladder: Can the histology for a high grade urothelial carcinoma described as having "extensive sarcomatoid dedifferentiation" be coded to sarcomatoid transitional cell carcinoma (8122/3)?

Example; TURBT, Final Diagnosis - Urothelial carcinoma, high grade. Type/grade comment: Extensive sarcomatoid dedifferentiation is present (40-50% of tumor volume).

Code high grade urothelial carcinoma described as having "extensive sarcomatoid dedifferentiation" to sarcomatoid transitional cell carcinoma (8122/3).

2016
20160021

Primary Site--Stomach: How do I code the primary site when the operative report and pathology report state that the tumor site is incisura of the stomach?

Assign C163. Incisura, incisura angularis, gastric angular notch, angular incisure of stomach all refer to the sharp angular depression in the lesser curvature of the stomach at the junction of the body with the pyloric canal. See Gastric angular notch in #12 on page 76 in the SEER manual, http://seer.cancer.gov/manuals/2015/SPCSM_2015_maindoc.pdf.  See also the SEER training website, #12 on the illustration corresponds to the angular notch, http://training.seer.cancer.gov/ugi/anatomy/stomach.html. We will correct the key for this illustration.

2016
20160028

MP/H/Histology--Sarcoma:  How should Ewing Sarcoma/primitive neuroectodermal tumor (PNET) be coded for a 2012 case?  See Discussion.

SEER SINQ 20031051 applies to cases diagnosed before 2007 and advises:  Code histology as 9260/3, Ewing sarcoma. Ewing sarcoma is a specific histology on the continuum of primitive neuroectodermal tumors. Code Ewing sarcoma as it is more specific than PNET, NOS.

For tumors diagnosed 2007 or later, refer to the MP/H rules.

Apply 2007 MP/H rule H6 and assign the numerically higher ICD-O-3 code that reflects PNET (9364/3).

According to the WHO Tumors of Soft Tissue and Bone, though Ewing sarcoma ICD-O-3 code is 9260/3, Ewing sarcoma with a higher degree of neuroectodermal differentiation present is classically termed peripheral neuroectodermal tumors (PNET).  WHO does not offer guidance how to classify tumors stated to be Ewing sarcoma PNET.

Histology code 9364/3 is assigned for a Ewing/PNET that arises outside of the brain/CNS. Peripheral neuroectodermal tumor (PNET) and peripheral primitive neuroectodermal tumor (PPNET) are Ewing family tumors.

Histology code 9473/3 (PNET, primitive neuroectodermal tumor, central primitive neuroectodermal tumor, or supratentorial PNET) is only used for tumors arising inside the brain/CNS.

2016