SEER Inquiry System - Search

Surgery of Primary Site--Skin: Explain the difference between code 30 and code 45.

Code 30 [Biopsy of primary tumor followed by a gross excision of the lesion]

Code 45 [Wide excision or re-excision of lesion or minor (local) amputation with margins more than 1 cm, NOS. Margins MUST be microscopically negative.]

Surgery of Primary Site/Multiple primaries--Breast: Should the Surgery of Primary Site for the 2020 diagnosis be coded 51 (Modified radical mastectomy without removal of uninvolved contralateral breast) when a partial mastectomy and axillary lymph node dissection are performed for a 2011 right breast primary and a subsequent 2020 right breast primary is treated with a total mastectomy only? See Discussion.

Surgery of Primary Site/Other Cancer-Directed Therapy--Head & Neck (Nasal cavity): Should a small fragment of bone removed during a maxillectomy following a turbinectomy for a nasal turbinate primary be "partial or total removal with other organ" for coding this field? See discussion.

Surgery of Primary Site/Surgery codes, NOS--Colon: What tissue specimens are included under this field's code 41 [Subtotal colectomy/hemicolectomy plus resection of contiguous organ; example: small bowel, bladder]? See Discussion.

Surgery of Primary Site/Surgery Codes, NOS--Pancreas: What exactly is an extended pancreatoduodenectomy? Must the entire pancreas be resected in order to use code 70? What minimal requirements must be met to use code 70? How should a Whipple with cholecystectomy, partial omentectomy, common hepatic excision, portal vein resection, and lymphadenectomy be coded?

Surgery of Primary Site/Surgical Procedure of Other Site--Breast: When bilateral nipple/skin sparing mastectomies are performed for a single primary confined to one breast, we should code 30 for surgery and 0 for Surgery of Other Site or follow the CAnswer Forum and code 1 in Surgery of Other Site? See Discussion.

Surgery of Primary Site: What is the most extensive, invasive or definitive surgical procedure when the second surgical procedure performed has a lower surgery code? See discussion.

Surgery Primary Site--Breast: Please clarify how to code both simple mastectomy with tissue expander and AlloDerm reconstruction, and simple mastectomy with tissue expander (NOS). See discussion.

Surgery Primary Site--Melanoma: How should Surgery of Primary Site be coded for a melanoma diagnosed on punch or shave biopsy followed by a wide excision that shows no residual disease and the gross wide excision specimen size showing no residual is greater than 1 cm in all dimensions (length, width and depth)? See Discussion.

Systemic/Surgery Sequence: Does the Systemic/Surgery Sequence field apply to only the first surgery performed (Date of First Surgical Procedure) or does it apply to the most definitive surgery (Date Most Definitive Surgery) as well? See Discussion.