Date of Diagnosis: If a clinician states his current diagnosis of malignancy is based on a CT scan done at an early date that contained a diagnosis of only "neoplasm" or "worrisome for carcinoma" should the date of diagnosis be the date of the scan?
Yes. Code the Date of Diagnosis field to the date of the scan. The physician's clinical impression upon reviewing the earlier scan, is that the malignancy was confirmed by the scan. If there is a medical review of a previous scan that indicates the patient had a malignancy at an earlier date, then the earlier date is the date of diagnosis, i.e., the date is back-dated.
Reportability--Skin: Is malignant proliferative trichilemmal tumor (PTT) reportable, and if so, do we apply the matrix rule and code it to 8103/3? A literature search reveals these do exist, but are extremely rare.
Malignant PTT (8103/3) of the skin is not reportable. A neoplasm originating in the skin with histology coded to 8103 is not reportable. See 1.b.i. on page 7 in the 2018 SEER manual for a complete list, https://seer.cancer.gov/manuals/2018/SPCSM_2018_maindoc.pdf
Rosette-forming glioneuronal tumor of the 4th ventricle is a new WHO entity. There is no current ICD-O-3 code for this. The best code available at this time is 9505/1.
EOD-Extension--Corpus uteri: How should EOD extension be coded when the pathology report shows adenocarcinoma arising in the endometrium with the statement "no invasive carcinoma identified?"
For cases diagnosed 1998-2003: Code endometrial cancer with no invasion to EOD extension code 11 [Confined to endometrium (stroma)]. "No invasion" most likely means no invasion of the myometrium.
Histology/Behavior--Brain and CNS: How should Histology and Behavior be coded for a polymorphous low-grade neuroepithelial tumor of the young (PLNTY) arising in the brain?
Assign code 9505/1 for ganglioglioma. Per our expert neuropathologist, according to the paper that has done the most work on PLNTY cases, it appears most closely related to the ganglioglioma. It is surely a neoplasm as it has recurrent mutations and fusions seen in other tumors, again, most like gangliogliomas.
Reportability--Brain and CNS: Is this diagnosis reportable? If this neoplasm originated in the spinal cord, it is reportable, correct?
Specimen is described as a 'spinal cord mass.' The final diagnosis is 'fragments of adipose tissue demonstrating vascular proliferations consistent with angiolipoma. No histologic evidence of malignancy.' The microscopic description says: Sections of the spinal mass reveal bone, cartilage, fibrous tissue and adipose tissue. The adipose tissue demonstrates increased vascularity with thin walled blood vessels seen with islands of delicate fibrous stroma. The histologic findings are compatible with fragments of angiolipoma.
The neoplasm is reportable if it originated in the spinal cord or is intradural (within the spinal dura; spinal nerve roots are intradural). If there is not enough information to determine the exact site of origin, do not report the case.
Reportability/Diagnostic Confirmation: If a diagnosis based solely on positive flow cytometry is reportable even if a bone marrow biopsy is negative, how is diagnostic confirmation coded?
For cases diagnosed prior to 2010
The case is reportable if a recognized medical practitioner says the patient has cancer.
A flow cytometry alone is not diagnostic but it may be supported by either a positive bone marrow or a clinician's statement. If the clinicians statement is based only on flow cytometry, code diagnostic confirmation to 8 [Clinical diagnosis only].
Update to the Current Manual/SEER*RSA--SEER Site-specific Factor 1: The 2024 SEER Manual and SEER*RSA say that Codes 10-51 are hierarchical; use the highest code that applies (10 is highest, 51 is lowest). Should the guidance say that 51 is highest, 10 is lowest since code 10 is a HPV negative p16 test?
Assign the highest code with 51 as the highest and 10 the lowest when there is more than one test performed with differing results.
The SEER Manual will be updated in the 2025 release. SEER*RSA will be updated in a future release, version 3.3 in 2026, as version 3.2 has been updated for 2025.
First course treatment--Heme & Lymphoid Neoplasms: Is the use of the corticosteroid, Clobetasol, cancer-directed treatment for mycosis fungoides or is it only used to treat the side effects of that disease?
Clobetasol is not cancer-directed treatment at this time.
Note: Question originally submitted in 2010. During 2014 review, this was checked and Clobetasol is still not cancer directed treatment for Mycosis Fungoides.