| Report | Question ID | Question | Discussion | Answer | Year |
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20250002 | Reportability/Histology--Soft Tissue: Is superficial CD34 positive fibroblastic tumor reportable and if so what histology code should be used? See Discussion. | Patient had a left thigh soft tissue mass excision on 7/24/24 and was diagnosed with superficial CD34 positive fibroblastic tumor. Margins were narrowly free of disease. Tumor size was 5.5 cm x 4.4 cm x 3.9 cm. The diagnosis was confirmed. |
Do not report superficial CD34-positive fibroblastic tumor (8810/1) of the thigh. WHO Classification of Soft Tissue and Bone Tumors, 5th ed., defines superficial CD34-positive fibroblastic tumor as a distinctive low-grade neoplasm of the skin and subcutis, most frequently occurring in the lower extremities, especially thigh, followed by arm, buttock, shoulder, and rarely, vulva. |
2025 |
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20250019 | SEER Manual/Tumor Size Summary--Breast: Can the size of a non-mass enhancement (NME) be used if it represents the largest size within the appropriate time frame to code tumor size summary when neoadjuvant therapy is administered? Clinical and pathologic tumor sizes are no longer collected for 2024 and 2025 cases. See Discussion. |
In the SEER Program Coding and Staging Manual 2023, under clinical tumor size (page 115, item #12), it states: “For breast tumors, clinical size may be recorded based on the size of a non-mass enhancement (NME). NME is defined as an enhancing abnormality that is not associated with the three-dimensional volume of a mass, shape, and outlining, and it is separate from Background Parenchymal Enhancement (BPE).” This guidance does not appear to have been carried forward into the Tumor Size Summary coding instructions. |
Do not use the NME size from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to code tumor size when both tumor size and NME size are stated or if NME is the only size available. The size of the solid tumor mass takes priority over the size of the NME when provided separately and the NME is larger. The American College of Radiology, Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) defines NME as an area of enhancement on MRI that does not belong to a 3D mass or have distinct features of a mass. It is a separate descriptor from size that includes modifiers describing enhancement patterns with a specific MRI pattern. |
2025 |
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20250024 | Reportability/Histology--Adrenal Gland: Is a case of pheochromocytoma reportable? The adrenal resection that was sent out for expert review final diagnosis is: Pheochromocytoma Impression with comment: Benign Pheochromocytoma based on Pheochromocytoma of the Adrenal gland Scaled Score (PASS) of 4. |
Report pheochromocytoma (8700/3). According to WHO Classification of Endocrine and Neuroendocrine Tumors, 5th edition, patients with pheochromocytomas are currently considered to have a lifelong risk of metastases and therefore conceptually they are all considered ‘malignant.’ |
2025 | |
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20250005 | Reportability/Behavior--Ovary: Is ovarian mucinous borderline tumor with foci of multifocal intraepithelial carcinoma reportable? |
Report ovarian mucinous borderline tumor with foci of multifocal intraepithelial carcinoma. The foci of intraepithelial carcinoma makes this reportable. See the list of synonyms for in situ in the SEER Manual, Behavior Code data item. |
2025 | |
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20250006 | Reportability/Histology--Appendix: Is carcinoid of the appendix reportable? If yes, when did this take effect? |
Report carcinoid, NOS of the appendix. As of 01/01/2015, the ICD-O-3 behavior code changed from /1 to /3. |
2025 | |
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20250028 | 2025 SEER Manual/Primary Site--Lymph Nodes: How is Primary Site coded when lymphangioleiomyomatosis is incidentally diagnosed in pelvic lymph nodes on a resection for an unrelated reason? See Discussion. |
Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) became reportable (9174/3) for diagnoses 2023 and later. While this neoplasm was only added to the Lung schema in the Solid Tumor Rules manual, this is a mesenchymal neoplasm which may arise outside of the lung and the reportability change was not limited to LAM of the lung. How should primary site be coded when a left pelvic lymph node dissection for an unrelated high-grade serous carcinoma of the right fallopian tube incidentally proved LAM in the pelvic lymph nodes? The pelvic lymph nodes were the only site of involvement; there was no evidence of lung involvement. As this is a mesenchymal tumor, should the primary site default to C499 (Soft tissue, NOS) according to the default primary site rule for sarcomas described in the SEER Manual? Or should the primary site be coded to C775 (Pelvic lymph nodes) as this was the only proven site of involvement? |
Code the primary site to pelvic lymph nodes (C775) as it is the only site involved with this extrapulmonary lymphangioleiomyomatosis (E-LAM). |
2025 |
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20250027 | Reportability/Histology--Heme & Lymphoid Neoplasms: Is a 2024 diagnosis of borderline smoldering multiple myeloma reportable? See Discussion. |
Smoldering multiple myeloma is reportable. However, it is unclear if a diagnosis of borderline smoldering multiple myeloma should be accessioned when no further follow-up with the physician is possible. The physician stated the patient, "most likely has borderline smoldering multiple myeloma, but mostly MGUS," and further noted the definition of smoldering myeloma requires at least 10% of plasma cells involved with the neoplasm and some areas of the patient's bone marrow does meet the 10% plasma cell threshold. The physician noted the patient does not need treatment because of the favorable cytogenetics and lack of organ dysfunction. Should the term "borderline" be ignored and the case accessioned? Or is a borderline smoldering myeloma non-reportable? |
Update February 2026, note added: Report this case as smoldering myeloma (9732/3) based on the plasma cell 10% threshold and favorable cytogenetics and lack of organ dysfunction (9732/3). According to the College of American Pathologists Plasma Cell Malignancies Protocol, in order to code smoldering multiple myeloma, both criteria must be met: • Serum monoclonal protein (IgG or IgA) ≥3gm/dL, or urinary monoclonal protein ≥ 500 mg per 24h and/or clonal bone marrow plasma cells 10-60% • Absence of myeloma defining events or amyloidosis. Note: This case was answered by our expert pathologist and applies to this case only. Registrars should not use the plasma cell threshold to determine reportability or histology. The diagnosis must come from the pathologist or the managing physician. |
2025 |
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20250025 | EOD 2018/Regional Nodes--Liver: Are the celiac axis lymph nodes considered regional lymph nodes or distant lymph nodes for a 2025 liver primary? |
According to the AJCC CAnswer Forum (https://cancerbulletin.facs.org/forums/node/160948), celiac axis nodes are considered regional for the liver. However, for liver primaries, Extent of Disease (EOD) regional lymph nodes list the following as regional lymph nodes:
Based on this information, should celiac axis lymph nodes be considered as regional for liver primaries when coding EOD Regional Nodes? |
Code celiac axis lymph nodes as regional in EOD Regional Nodes for liver primaries. |
2025 |
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20250003 | Solid Tumor Rules/Histology--Fallopian Tube: How is histology coded for a high-grade serous carcinoma with admixed yolk sac tumor of the right fallopian tube? See Discussion. |
There was a single right fallopian tube tumor with two distinct morphologies. The diagnosis comment states, “The combined morphologic and immunohistochemical features are best classified as primary fallopian tube high grade serous carcinoma with a somatically derived yolk sac tumor.” |
Assign high-grade serous carcinoma of the fallopian tube (8461/3). There is currently no code to capture this rare mixed histology. Yolk sac tumors rarely occur in the fallopian tubes of postmenopausal patients and are associated with poor outcome. It is important to document the findings in the appropriate text field. | 2025 |
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20250021 | Reportability--Heme & Lymphoid Neoplasms: Is a diagnosis of smoldering Waldenström macroglobulinemia (WM) reportable? See Discussion. |
The bone marrow was involved by lambda-restricted atypical B-cell and plasma cell populations with MYD88 mutation. Together these populations represent 10-15% of the bone marrow cellularity. While the bone marrow biopsy pathology alone did not provide a reportable diagnosis, the oncologist clinically diagnosed this as smoldering WM in the medical record. Is a diagnosis of smoldering WM similar to a diagnosis of smoldering multiple myeloma (MM), a reportable Heme neoplasm, since smoldering neoplasms may be considered to meet the neoplasm’s threshold in the bone marrow but is otherwise asymptomatic? |
Report smoldering WM (9761/3) using the Hematopoietic and Lymphoid Neoplasms Manual and Database (Table B9). Smoldering WM is defined as a poorly described asymptomatic disorder with a high risk of progressing to symptomatic WM requiring treatment. The term “smoldering” refers to the process meaning it is progressing, perhaps slowly, or even at a slower pace than might be expected. Smoldering WM resembles smoldering MM. |
2025 |
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