Reportability: Is a case reportable if a benign diagnosis is obtained on a resection that follows a positive needle aspiration? See Discussion.
Fine needle aspiration of the thyroid diagnosis was "positive for malignant cells, favor medullary carcinoma." Subsequent thyroidectomy was reported as benign.
This case is reportable. The cytology is positive. Report as medulary carcinoma of the thyroid.
CS Lymph Nodes/CS Mets at Dx: How should these fields be coded for an in situ diagnosis when the patient was diagnosed by biopsy only and there is no information in the chart regarding an evaluation of lymph nodes or metastatic sites? See Discussion.
In reference to the case below, does it make a difference if the CS T stage is known based on the primary excision but there is no clinical information in the record regarding the nodes or metastasis evaluation.
This scenario is seen on outpatient records of breast biopsies and melanoma excisions; i.e., punch bx followed by gross excision of the lesion but the medical record contains no clinical information or statement of everything else normal.
I&R Question 17625 2/16/2006
A patient was diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in situ by needle core biopsy of the right breast. There was no further information in the chart stating if or where the patient went for staging work-up and treatment. What are the codes for CS Extension, CS Regional Lymph Nodes and CS Distant Mets at Dx?
I&R Answer: Sufficient tissue must be taken to determine the T category. If this is the case, CS Extension = 00.
Unless the physician makes the statement that the physical exam is negative, code the CS Regional Lymph Nodes = 99 CS Distant Mets at DX = 99.
This answer was provided in the context of CSv1 coding guidelines. The response may not be used after your registry database has been converted to CSv2.
Code CS Lymph Nodes and CS Mets at Dx 00 [None] for an in situ diagnosis with no other information.
The CS instructions state that CS LN's should be coded 00 for in situ because in situ by definition is non-invasive. The same logic applies to CS mets in the case of in situ. The I&R answer will be revised.
MP/H Rules: Does the presence of metastases affect the application of the MP/H rules? See Discussion.
Single lung tumors presenting in each lung but the patient also presents with bone mets? Would rule M6 apply? Or do the bone mets represent additional tumors?
For cases diagnosed 2007 or later, the MP/H rules do not apply to metastases. Ignore metastases when applying the rules.
For the case above, use rule M6 and abstract as two primaries (right lung and left lung). The bone mets are ignored.
CS Extension: How is CS Ext coded for the following?
Rretroperitoneal primary
Cystic mucinous tumor with intraepithelial carcinoma
There is no CS Extension code for intraepithelial ca in the retroperitoneal scheme.
This answer was provided in the context of CSv1 coding guidelines. The response may not be used after your registry database has been converted to CSv2.According to the American College of Surgeons I & R system, assign code 10 [confined to site of origin] for intraepithelial carcinoma of the retroperitoneum.
CS Lymph Nodes--Breast: Now that code 50 [fixed/matted ipsilateral axillary LNS, NOS] is obsolete, how is this field coded for a case in which there are clinically matted lymph nodes, no neoadjuvant therapy, and no lymph node size on the available pathology report?
This answer was provided in the context of CSv1 coding guidelines. The response may not be used after your registry database has been converted to CSv2.From the American College of Surgeons: The pathologic information always takes precedence over the clinical information when there is no neoadjuvant therapy. The size reference is that this is not ITC or micromets. Clinically, I don't think you can have fixed or matted nodes that aren't greater than micromets. This would be coded to 52. The mapping for all of these codes is not taken from this, but from the value of SSF3 per the note at the bottom of the table. See CS Lymph Nodes note 2.
Race, ethnicity/Spanish surname or origin: If birthplace is Brazil or Portugal, patient's last name is on the Spanish Surname list, and there is no text to further clarify ethnicity, what is the correct Spanish Ethnicity code: 0 or 7? See Discussion.
See also SINQ 20081075.
Assign code 7 [Spanish surname only] when the last name is on the Spanish Surname list. This includes cases for which the birthplace is Brazil, Portugal or the Philippines and there is no text to further clarify ethnicity.
The instruction to use code 0 [Non-Spanish/Non-Hispanic] in the SEER manual on page 51 (#2) applies when the only information available is the birthplace or a statement of "Portuguese," "Brazilian" or "Filipino."
Computed Ethnicity: Should the Name--Alias field be used when generating Computed Ethnicity?
No, "Alias" is not used and should not be used to generate Computed Ethnicity. Computed Ethnicity records the ethnicity based on last name and/or maiden name using a computer algorithm. Alias is not part of the algorithm.
MP/H Rules/Histology--Colon: How do you use Rule H5 or H6 to code "moderately diff adenoca with mucinous component"?
For cases diagnosed 2007 or later, code the histology 8140 [Adenocarcinoma]. Rule H6 applies because the final diagnosis is not "mucinous adenocarcinoma" and the percentage of mucinous adenocarcinoma is not stated.
Rule H13 does not apply because "component" is not a term that indicates a specific histology.
An official website of the United States government
Home