Multiple Primaries--Brain and CNS: How many primaries should be recorded in a patient with von Hippel Lindau disease that has a hemangioblastoma of the cerebellum in 2003 and a hemangioblastoma of the brainstem in 2007?
A tumor of the cerebellum (C716) and a tumor of the brainstem (C717) are multiple primaries because the topography codes are different at the fourth character of site.
Hematologic Transplant and Endocrine Procedures--Breast: Is a bone marrow transplant first course of cancer-directed therapy for breast cancer? If yes, are time guidelines relating to the first "remission" the same as for those used in leukemia primaries?
For cases diagnosed 1/1/2003 and after: A bone marrow transplant can be first course of therapy for cases in which there has been no progression of disease between the initial therapy (e.g., surgery, radiation, chemotherapy) and the bone marrow transplant. Code Hematologic Transplant and Endocrine Procedures field to 10-12 or 40 (depending on the type of bone marrow transplant performed).
Do not use leukemia treatment time guidelines when coding breast cancer treatment.
EOD-Extension--Bladder: Both papillary transitional cell ca in situ and sessile (flat) transitional cell ca in situ are diagnosed simultaneously in the bladder. We code the higher histology (8130/2). For extension, do we use the code that corresponds to the histology (01), or to the higher extension code (06)?
For cases diagnosed between 1998-2003:
Code the EOD-Extension field to 06 [sessile (flat) (solid) carcinoma in situ], the higher extension code.
CS Lymph Node Examined--Lung: How is this field coded when a mediastinoscopy and lobectomy are performed and the pathology report indicates multiple lymph node fragments were removed as biopsy specimens and the lobectomy specimen revealed 3 interlobar lymph nodes?
This answer was provided in the context of CSv1 coding guidelines. The response may not be used after your registry database has been converted to CSv2.
Code the CS Lymph Node Examined field to 98 [number unknown] because the biopsy information is not clear and as a result you do not know how many lymph nodes were examined.
CS Extension--Bladder: How should this field be coded for a high grade urothelial carcinoma with "focal micropapillary features and invasion of lamina propria, with a note stating there is invasive carcinoma focally involving thin muscle bundles...difficult to distinguish whether muscularis propria or muscularis mucosae"?
This answer was provided in the context of CSv1 coding guidelines. The response may not be used after your registry database has been converted to CSv2.Assign CS Extension code 15 [Invasive tumor confined to subepithelial connective tissue (tunica propria, lamina propria, submucosa, stroma)]. The information provided confirms invasion of the lamina propria (code 15) but is not definitive enough to assign a code higher than 15.
Reportability/Recurrence (Pre-2007)--Bladder: If a patient has had recurrent invasive bladder cancers since 1971, should the latest recurrence in 2003 be SEER reportable because the case has yet to be reported to SEER?
For tumors diagnosed prior to 2007:
Because this 2003 recurrent bladder cancer was initially diagnosed prior to 1973, it is not reportable to SEER.
For tumors diagnosed 2007 or later, refer to the MP/H rules. If there are still questions about how this type of tumor should be coded, submit a new question to SINQ and include the difficulties you are encountering in applying the MP/H rules.
Histology--Breast: Does "cancerization" mean invasive for a breast tumor described as "DCIS with lobular cancerization"?
No, cancerization is not a synonym for invasive. Cells of DCIS can extend not only along the duct but also into the terminal lobules. This extension is referred to as lobular cancerization.
CS Lymph Nodes--Breast: Must there be a statement of "moveable" present to code 25 in this field and if a lymph node is not stated to be "fixed" is it presumed to be moveable? Please provide an example in your answer of when to use code 25.
This answer was provided in the context of CSv1 coding guidelines. The response may not be used after your registry database has been converted to CSv2.
The word "movable" does not have to be used to assign code 25. A "movable" lymph node is an involved lymph node not described as fixed or matted. The general rule is to code the lesser or lower category, which would be the case if neither movability nor fixation is mentioned. See page C-471 of the 2004 SEER Manual.
Code 25 Example: Involved lymph nodes per lymph node dissection. No mention of fixation or matting. Size of largest met within a lymph node is 4mm.
MP/H Rules/Histology--Skin: How is the histology coded for a "malignant baso-melanocytic tumor" arising in the skin of right shoulder?
Code the histology as melanoma, NOS [8720/3].
This is a malignant skin tumor with both melanoma and basal cell carcinoma histologies. There is no ICD-O-3 code for this entity. Per our subject matter expert, code the histology to 8720/3 [melanoma, NOS] and document the diagnosis of malignant baso-melanocytic tumor in a text field because melanoma is reportable to SEER and basal cell carcinoma is not.
MP/H Rules/HistologyCorpus Uteri: How should histology be coded for a "carcinosarcoma with high grade sarcomatous component within a polyp, with greater component of endometrioid carcinoma and foci papillary serous carcinoma within polyp"?
For cases diagnosed 2007 or later, assign code 8980/3 [Carcinosarcoma] according to rule H17. Rule H12 does not apply since the final diagnosis is not "adenocarcinoma."