| Report | Question ID | Question | Discussion | Answer | Year |
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20190092 | First course Treatment/Lymph Nodes: When a Sentinel Lymph Node (SLN) biopsy ONLY is performed and SLNs are negative, are the SLNs included still counted in Regional Nodes (RNs) Examined and RNs Positive, or are the fields filled in: RLN Examined: 00 (No nodes examined) RLN Positive: 98 (No nodes examined) Date RLN Dissection: 00/00/0000 (No RLN dissection performed) or are the SLN included in the RLN Examined/Positive field but the Date RLN Dissection is 00/00/0000? See Discussion. |
According to the 2018 SEER Manual, Sentinel Lymph Nodes (SLNs) Examined and SLNs Positive are included in Regional Nodes (RNs) Examined and RNs Positive when both a sentinel node biopsy procedure and a subsequent dissection procedure are performed or a sentinel node biopsy procedure is performed during the same procedure as the regional node dissection. |
If a SLN biopsy is performed but no RLN dissection is performed, assign as follows. Date of Regional Lymph Node Dissection: Leave blank as this field records the date non-sentinel regional node dissection was performed. Date of Regional Lymph Node Dissection Flag: Assign code 11 (Not applicable: No proper value is applicable in this context (for example, no regional lymph node dissection was performed; autopsy only cases). Regional Nodes Examined: Indicate the number of SLNs examined as this is cumulative from all procedures that remove lymph nodes through the completion of surgeries in the first course of treatment. Regional Nodes Positive: Indicate the number of SLNs positive as this is cumulative from all procedures that remove lymph nodes through the completion of surgeries in the first course of treatment. |
2019 |
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20140074 | Surgery of Primary Site--Brain and CNS: What procedure code would be used for NeuroBlate Laser Interstitial Thermal Therapy? This procedure was used for a Glioblastoma of the brain. |
If a pathologic specimen is not taken during this procedure, code in the surgery field using code 10 (Local tumor destruction, NOS). If specimen is sent to pathology, code 90, surgery, NOS. We will request this procedure be included in future treatment field coding documentation.
Our research notes that this procedure, also known as LITT (Laser Interstitial Thermal Therapy), is a surgical treatment. Lasers transmit heat to coagulate or destroy the brain tumors from the inside out. |
2014 | |
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20150008 | Reportability--Heme & Lymphoid Neoplasms: Is idiopathic hypereosinophilia reportable? Must the diagnosis include the word 'syndrome'? |
Idiopathic hypereosinophilia is not reportable.
Hypereosinophilic syndrome is a different entity and is a synonym for chronic eosinophilic leukemia. |
2015 | |
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20160029 | Radiation Therapy--Breast: Are iodine 125 (I-125) seed implants for breast cancer coded as brachytherapy or as a localization technique similar to wire localization? See Discussion. |
We are seeing many I-125 seed implants for breast cancer. Many of my associates are coding them as brachytherapy. I think they are the newest of the localization technique like wire localization but with greater accuracy. Most are done the same day as the surgery so brachytherapy does not make sense. Which is correct? |
I-125 seeds could be used for brachytherapy for breast cancer or as a localization technique for nonpalpable breast tumors. If the seeds were in place a short time and removed as part of a breast surgical procedure, they were likely used for tumor localization. Radioactive seed localization (RSL) is thought to be more precise than the wire implantation technique for localizing lesions. |
2016 |
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20081114 | Reportability--Brain and CNS: Is hygroma reportable? See Discussion. |
Benign brain guidelines indicate that named tumors that have been assigned an ICD-O-3 code are reportable. However, per I&R: "Most cystic hygromas (9173/0) are fetal malformations and occur in patients less than two years old. If this patient was an adult, they are primarily treated with surgery. Hygroma (used in a general sense) is a response to trauma (i.e., subdural hematoma) and as such, is not a "new growth" and would not be reportable either as a cyst or as a neoplasm. Unless the patient had some sort of operation, I'd hesitate to include the case as a reportable benign tumor." How is the cancer registrar to distinguish between reportable and non-reportable hygromas? Example: Brain MRI showed diffuse cerebral volume loss and incidental bilateral frontal subdural hygromas (histology code 9173/0). Reference: I&R 14825 |
Hygromas are not reportable. This instruction will be added to the next revision of the benign brain rules. According to an expert in the field, hygromas are not neoplastic. Hygromas are cystic dilations of a localized subarachnoid or subdural accumulation of clear fluid related to an excess accumulation of CSF, typically related to an old hemorrhage that somehow prevents reabsorption of CSF. |
2008 |
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20200083 | Reportability/Histology--Kidney: Is hybrid oncocytic chromophobe tumor reportable for cases diagnosed 2021 and later? If so, how is the histology coded? See Discussion. |
The ICD-O-3.2 Coding Table includes hybrid oncocytic chromophobe tumor as a related term for histology code 8317 (Renal cell carcinoma, chromophobe type). However, this related term is not discussed in the implementation guidelines as being a new term/reportable tumor. The Solid Tumor Rules do not indicate a hybrid oncocytic chromophobe tumor is reportable; however, if a registrar only looked at the ICD-O-3.2 Coding Table, it may seem as though this histology should be collected. The term hybrid oncocytic chromophobe tumor was not included in the Solid Tumor Rules as a subtype/variant of RCC, or as an equivalent term for chromophobe RCC. There is a SINQ (20180047) that states not to report renal hybrid oncocytic tumor, despite the fact these tumors exhibit mixed features of both oncocytoma and chromophobe RCC. For cases diagnosed 2021 and later, should the clarification in the SINQ apply? Or should the ICD-O-3.2 Coding Table be used which indicates this is a reportable diagnosis? If the standard setters decided not to implement use of hybrid oncocytic chromophobe tumor for 2021, can clarification be added to the Solid Tumor Rules or Implementation Guidelines? This question was prompted from preparing SEER*Educate coding exercises. We will use the answer as a reference in the rationales. |
Hybrid oncocytic chromophobe tumor is listed in ICD-O-3.2 as 8317/3 which indicates it is reportable if diagnosed in 2021 or later. For cases diagnosed 1/1/2021 and later, use ICD-O-3.2 for reportability. See page 16 of the NAACCR 2021 Implementation Guidelines. Between publication of ICD-O-3.2 and updates made to solid tumor histology tables, additional terms were added based on review by the IARC ICD-O committee. These changes were not made available in time to correct the tables. All related terms or synonyms may not be included in the histology tables and ICD-O-3.2 should be used in tandem with the solid tumor rules. |
2020 |
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20130220 | Reportability--Thyroid: Is a hyalinizing trabecular neoplasm of the thyroid reportable? See Discussion. | The pathology comment states: Hyalinizing trabecular neoplasm is considered by some to represent a variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma because of the similar nuclear cytology, immunoprofile and RET-oncogene rearrangements. | Hyalinizing trabecular neoplasm is not reportable.
Hyalinizing trabecular neoplasm, or hyalinizing trabecular tumor, is a synonym for hyalinizing trabecular adenoma [8336/0] in the ICD-O-3. The 2004 WHO classification states that "fine needle aspiration biopsy is often interpreted as papillary carcinoma because of the nuclear features in the tumor." |
2013 |
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20180077 | Solid Tumor Rules (2018)/Histology--Head & Neck: How is histology coded for a p16-positive squamous cell carcinoma of the base of tongue? Is p16-positive squamous cell carcinoma equivalent to a diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma human papilloma virus (HPV)-positive (8085)? See Discussion. |
Table 6 (Tumors of the Oropharynx, Base of Tongue, Tonsils, Adenoids) in the Head and Neck Equivalent Terms and Definitions lists both squamous cell carcinoma HPV-positive and squamous cell carcinoma HPV-negative as subtypes/variants of squamous cell carcinoma (the NOS histology, 8070). Squamous cell carcinoma HPV-positive and squamous cell carcinoma HPV-negative are also listed in the 2018 ICD-O-3 update table. Previous clarification from the standard setters regarding the 2018 ICD-O-3 Update table indicated that histology codes 8085 and 8086 (HPV-positive and HPV-negative squamous cell carcinoma, respectively) included p16+ and p16- squamous cell carcinoma, respectively. Presumably, this clarification was made because p16 is a surrogate marker for HPV, and capturing whether a tumor is HPV-related or not has implications for staging for 2018 and later diagnoses. However, this clarification was not added to the 2018 ICD-O-3 Update table via errata, nor do the Head and Neck Equivalent Terms and Definitions or Histology Coding Rules address this. Is a diagnosis of p16-positive squamous cell carcinoma equivalent to a diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma HPV-positive (8085)? If so, will this clarification be added to the Head and Neck Solid Tumor Rules? |
HPV-positive is not equivalent to HPV-mediated (p16+). According to the 2018 SEER Manual, HPV-type 16 refers to virus type and is different from p16 overexpression (p16+). HPV status is determined by tests designed to detect viral DNA or RNA. Tests based on ISH, PCR, RT-PCR technologies detect the viral DNA or RNA; whereas, the test for p16 expression, a surrogate marker for HPV, is IHC. HPV testing must be positive by viral detection tests in order to code histology as 8085. |
2018 |
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20110124 | MP/H Rules/Histology--Lung: How is the histology coded for a single tumor of the left lower lobe that is stated to be a sarcomatoid carcinoma with features of carcinosarcoma, spindle cell carcinoma, poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma and giant cell carcinoma? | Histology is sarcomatoid carcinoma [8033/3]. This case was sent to the lung physician experts because of the difficulty in trying to apply the current MP/H rules. Their rationale for the coding decision follows:
"This pathologist has diagnosed a sarcomatoid carcinoma, and then listed all of the subtypes associated with that diagnosis. I would go with the primary diagnosis, sarcomatoid carcinoma. The inclusion of squamous cell differentiation would exclude spindle cell and giant cell as diagnoses, so the pathologist is using them descriptively. We have no basis for picking one of the subtypes and sarcomatoid carcinoma covers all of the diagnoses given."
See the glossary in the Lung Equivalent Terms and Definitions for Sarcomatoid carcinoma: A group of tumors that are non-small cell in type and contain spindle cells and/or giant cells. Depending on the histologic features the tumor may be designated: pleomorphic carcinoma [8022/3]; spindle cell carcinoma [8032/3]; giant cell carcinoma [8031/3], carcinosarcoma [8980/3]; or pulmonary blastoma [8972/3]. |
2011 | |
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20250012 | Solid Tumor Rules/Histology--Lung: How is histology coded and which H Rule applies for a lung adenocarcinoma when the greatest percentage of the adenocarcinoma is stated to be, "solid; complex glands (cribriform and fused glands) (50%)"? See Discussion. |
In 01/2023, right lower lobectomy final diagnosis proved a single adenocarcinoma tumor with the histological patterns described as acinar (20%), papillary (30%) and solid; complex glands (cribriform and fused glands) (50%). There is no H Rule applicable to a complex glandular pattern adenocarcinoma. Is this equivalent to a solid predominant adenocarcinoma (8230) per Rule H7? Or is the predominant adenocarcinoma a mixed subtype coded as 8255 per Rule H9? |
Histology code 8255/3 best identifies this histology. Complex glands in lung tumors are often associated with a poor prognosis and represent a high-grade pattern in lung cancer grading systems. This histology is not currently recognized as a variant by WHO. |
2025 |
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