System Guide
Back to Search Results

Search Results

Display Options
Display Options
Select Fields
Export Results to CSV Create Report 0
+ Add all results to report

Report Produced: 10/07/2026 04:43 AM

Report Question ID Question Discussion Answer Cancer Site Category Data Item Category Year
20180030

First Course of Treatment/Surgery of Primary Site--Melanoma: How do you code UVB therapy treatment for melanoma?

Code UVB therapy for melanoma as photodynamic therapy under Surgery of Primary Site for skin. Assign code 11 [Photodynamic therapy (PDT)] if there is no pathology specimen. Assign code 21 [Photodynamic therapy (PDT)] if there is a pathology specimen. Use text fields to document details.

 Melanoma First course treatment, Surgery of Primary Site 2018
20190074

First course treatment/Scope of Reg LN Surgery--Breast: How is Scope of Regional Lymph Node Surgery coded when there is a sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNBx) and intra-mammary nodes removed for a single primary? See Discussion.

Example: Operative report documents a left breast skin sparing mastectomy and sentinel node biopsy procedure. Pathology report lists left axillary sentinel nodes in specimen A) with 0/2 nodes positive, and left breast mastectomy without axilla in specimen B) yielding an additional 0/2 intramammary nodes positive. Would the Scope of Regional Node Surgery be coded as 2 (SLN biopsy) to capture the intent of the sentinel node procedure only, or 6 (code 2 + 4) to capture the actual type and number of nodes removed?

SEER Coding and Staging Manual includes Scope of Regional Lymph Node Surgery instruction 4.b. which mentions assigning code 4 to intra-organ node removal. Similarly, there is instruction for coding SLN biopsy as code 2 and SLN biopsy with axillary dissection at the same time (code 6) or during separate procedures (code 7). However, it is not clear this combination code is how we should also capture an incidental intra-organ node removal.

Revised answer 07/11/2023

Assign code 6, Sentinel node biopsy and code 3, 4, or 5 at same time or timing not noted. There were two sentinel lymph nodes removed (code 2) plus two intramammary nodes removed in a separate specimen from the mastectomy (code 4). Assign code 6 when nodes are removed from a sentinel lymph node procedure at the same time as removal of intra-organ lymph nodes which were not part of the sentinel lymph node procedure.

 Breast First course treatment, Scope Regional LN Surgery 2019
20230067

First Course Treatment/Scope of Regional Lymph Node Surgery--Breast:  How is Scope of Regional Lymph Node Surgery coded when initially there is a sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNBx) and an intramammary node removed followed a month later by an axillary dissection for a right breast primary? See Discussion.

Patient has a diagnosis of invasive carcinoma of the right breast from a core biopsy on 04/2023.

Subsequent bilateral mastectomy and sentinel node biopsy proves one positive sentinel node and one negative intramammary node.

One month later there is a completion axillary node dissection with 15 nodes negative for malignancy.

Per previous SINQ 20190074, the initial mastectomy and sentinel node excision with intramammary node removal should be coded as Scope of Regional Lymph Node Surgery 6. It is unclear how the resulting axillary dissection should be recorded in Scope of Regional Lymph Node Surgery. There is no code for sentinel node biopsy and 3, 4, or 5 at same time (code 6) PLUS an additional subsequent axillary dissection.

Please provide coding instructions for Sentinel Lymph Nodes Positive, Sentinel Lymph Nodes Examined, and Scope of Regional Lymph Node Surgery in this scenario.

Scope of Regional Lymph Node Surgery:  Assign code 7, Sentinel node biopsy and code 3, 4, or 5 at different times. In this case, the SLNBx (code 2) preceded the regional node dissection (code 5: 4 or more regional lymph nodes removed), i.e., procedures performed in separate surgical events.

Sentinel Lymph Nodes Examined:  Assign code 98, Sentinel lymph nodes were biopsied, but the number is unknown. In this case, only the results were provided.

Sentinel Lymph Nodes Positive:  Assign code 01, Sentinel nodes are positive (code exact number of nodes positive). In this case, there was one positive sentinel node.

 Breast First course treatment, Scope Regional LN Surgery 2023
20190068

First course treatment/Scope of Reg LN Surgery--Breast: How is Scope of Regional Lymph Node Surgery coded when the operative report does not agree with the actual number and type of nodes removed? Are we attempting to capture the intended surgery or the type and number of nodes removed? See Discussion.

Example 1: Operative report states the surgery is a right breast simple mastectomy. There is no lymph node removal documented or attempted; however, a single incidental intramammary node is found in the final pathology results. How should these nodes be captured in the Scope of Regional Lymph Node Surgery field?

CAnswer Forum states to code Scope of Regional Lymph Node Surgery as 0 (No regional lymph nodes removed), see Scope LN surgery, incidental LN found on path, Breast.

However, SEER Program Coding and Staging Manual 2018 instruction states: Code the removal of intra-organ lymph nodes in Scope of Regional Lymph Node Surgery. Example: Local excision of breast cancer. Specimen includes an intra-mammary lymph node. Assign code 4 (1 to 3 regional lymph nodes removed).

The STORE 2018 Manual does not provide instruction for incidental nodes specifically, but does appear to be focused on capturing procedural intent.

Example 2: Patient has bilateral breast primaries. Operative report states the surgery is bilateral simple/skin-sparing mastectomies with bilateral sentinel node biopsies and immediate reconstruction. However, pathology shows that the left breast specimens are labeled: (a) Left breast mastectomy, (b) Left sentinel lymph node biopsy, (c) Additional left lymph nodes biopsy, and (d) Left axillary contents biopsy. The total nodes removed for this case are: 2/2 positive SLN, 0/1 positive intramammary nodes, 1/1 positive additional lymph node, and 3/3 positive axillary contents nodes. How should these nodes be captured in the Scope of Regional Lymph Node Surgery field?

Assign the best code in Scope of Regional Lymph Node Surgery to capture the type and number of nodes removed.

Example 1: Code 4; 1 to 3 regional lymph nodes removed. There is no statement of the procedure being a SLNBx or dissection in the operative report; the pathology report identified one incidental regional lymph node. Coding instruction #4 example says to assign code 4 if there is a local excision of breast cancer and specimen includes an intra-mammary lymph node.

Example 2: Code 6, Sentinel node biopsy and code 3, 4, or 5 at same time or timing not noted. The operative report describes sentinel node biopsies only and does not mention axillary lymph node dissection; however, the pathology report details other lymph nodes in addition to the SLNBx. In addition to the LSLNbx and left LN bx, the pathology report describes "Left axillary contents biopsy" and a total of seven lymph nodes removed.

 Breast First course treatment, Scope Regional LN Surgery 2019
20210007

First Course Treatment/Reason for No Surgery of Primary Site: How should we be coding Reason For No Surgery of Primary Site for cases where surgery was planned but ultimately cancelled due to progression? See Discussion.

There is a discrepancy in the SEER and STORE manual definition of code 2 for Reason for No Surgery of Primary Site. STORE includes progression of tumor prior to planned surgery as part of the definition for code 2, but the SEER Manual does not. The progression statement is included in the SEER Manual (2018 and 2021) for Reason for No Radiation, but not for Reason for No Surgery.

Assign code 2 for cases where surgery was planned but ultimately cancelled due to progression in the data item Reason For No Surgery of Primary Site. Code 2 description contains examples and is not exhaustive of reasons for no surgery.

We will add the example for consistency in the next version of the SEER manual.

 N/A First course treatment, Reason no treatment 2021
20081047 Reason no surgery of primary site/First course treatment: If the Reason no Surgery of Primary Site field is coded as 7 (refused), must the other treatment options (radiation, chemo, hormone) also be coded as 7? See Discussion. Coding instruction #5 in the SEER manual states: "Assign code 7 (refused) if the patient refused recommended surgery or made a blanket statement that he/she refused all treatment."

Refused [code 7] means this modality was specifically recommended by the physician and the patient refused. If two treatment alternatives were offered and surgery was refused, code Reason no surgery of primary site 1 [Surgery of the primary site was not performed because it was not part of the planned first-course treatment].

Refusal of surgery does not necessarily mean that all treatment was refused. Coding Surgery of Primary Site as "refused" does not affect the coding of Radiation, Chemotherapy, Hormone Therapy, etc.

 N/A First course treatment, Reason no treatment 2008
20220042

First Course Treatment/Radiation Therapy:  How should Lutathera be coded? CoC states XRT- Radioisotopes and SEER states Other Treatment.

Lutathera is a radioconjugate consisting of the tyrosine-containing somatostatin analog Tyr3-octreotate (TATE) conjugated with the bifunctional, macrocyclic chelating agent tetra-azacyclododecanetetra-acetic acid (DOTA) and radiolabeled with the beta-emitting radioisotope lutetium Lu 177 with potential antineoplastic activities.

Update to the current manual: Code Lutathera as radiation (isotopes NOS code 13). We will make this change in the next version of the SEER manual. 

 N/A First course treatment, Radiation Therapy 2022
20190023

First course of treatment/Radiation therapy--Kidney: Patient has a CT-guided biopsy of a right renal mass with procedure details under the Interventional Radiology Procedure Note stating "Gelfoam tract embolization." Is this particular embolization treatment?

Gelfoam tract embolization for a CT-guided renal biopsy is not treatment. It is a method to plug the biopsy track to reduce the risk of hemorrhage.

 Kidney, renal pelvis First course treatment, Radiation Therapy 2019
20160078

First course treatment/Radiation Therapy--Prostate: How do you code fiducial markers for prostate cases?

Do not code fiducial markers as a form of radiation treatment; rather, code the radiation therapy in the radiation treatment section.  Fiducial markers are small metal spheres, coils, or cylinders that are placed in or near a tumor to help guide the placement of radiation beams during treatment.

Prostate First course treatment, Radiation Therapy 2016
20081021 Primary Site/Surgery of Other Site--Leukemia: If hairy cell leukemia is diagnosed at splenectomy, and 1 month later a bone marrow confirms the same diagnosis, is the primary site coded to spleen or bone marrow? If the site is bone marrow, is the splenectomy coded to 2 (regional) or 4 (distant) in the surgery field?

For cases diagnosed prior to 1/1/2010:Primary site:

Code the primary site to C421 [bone marrow] per primary site coding instructions for leukemia in the 2007 SEER manual, page 70.

Surgery of other site:

Since all surgical procedures for hematopoietic diseases are coded in the data item Surgery of Other Site, assign code 1 [Nonprimary surgical procedure performed].

For cases diagnosed 1/1/10 and later, refer to the Hematopoietic and Lymphoid Neoplasm Case Reportability and Coding Manual and the Hematopoietic Database (Hematopoietic DB) provided by SEER on its website to research your question. If those resources do not adequately address your issue, submit a new question to SINQ.

 N/A First course treatment, Primary site 2008