Reportability/Histology--Pituitary Gland: How are Rathke cleft cyst and Rathke pouch tumor distinguished and are they both reportable?
Rathke cleft cyst is not reportable. Cysts are not neoplastic. However, Rathke pouch tumor (C751, 9350/1) is a reportable neoplasm for cases diagnosed 2004 and later. The Rathke pouch is coded to the pituitary gland. Benign and borderline pituitary tumors have been reportable since 2004.
Sugery of Primary Site--Breast: When a patient is simultaneously diagnosed with bilateral breast cancer and bilateral mastectomies are done, do you code the total mastectomies to 40 or 41 or 42?
Abstract cancer of the left breast and cancer of the right breast as separate primaries. Code the surgery for each primary independent of the other primary.
For the first primary, assign code 41 [Total (simple) mastectomy, NOS WITHOUT removal of uninvolved contralateral breast].
For the second primary, assign the code for the procedure performed on that site.
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.
First Course of Treatment/Other Therapy: Where do you code Optune TTF therapy? What needs to be included in the text portion to document this treatment?
If OPTUNE was administered for recurrence, be sure NOT to record it in the first course of treatment fields. Check with CoC if you have questions about coding treatment for recurrence.
Reportability--Melanoma: Is the final diagnosis for an excisional skin biopsy of "compound nevus with severe cytoarchitectural atypia and regression" reportable if a re-excision may be clinically indicated because there is an "overlap of morphology between malignant melanoma and nevi with severe atypia, and there's evidence of regression"?
Compound nevus with severe atypia is not reportable unless also stated to be malignant melanoma or melanoma in situ.
CS Lymph Nodes--Ovary: Are positive lymph nodes removed from "colon tissue" during a modified posterior pelvic debulking regional or distant? If regional, what is the appropriate CS LN code?
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.Pericolonic lymph nodes are "regional" lymph nodes for an ovarian primary. If you do not have enough information to assign codes 12-30, assign code 50 [Regional lymph nodes, NOS].
CS Extension--Ovary: How are the following terms coded when they are described in the medical record without any other qualifying information? Seeding, talcum powder appearance, salting, miliary, and studding.
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.Seeding, talcum powder appearance, salting and studding are synonymous with implants. When the size of implants is not stated, but operative report and scans state "seeding," "talcum powder appearance," "salting," and "studding" the CS extension code choice will depend on the location of the seeding, talcum powder appearance, salting, or studding.
The word "miliary" is not documented as a synonym for implants.
The term miliary does not affect the CS extension code choice according to the current CS instructions.
Primary site--Lung: What primary site code is used for bronchus intermedius?
Assign code C340 [main bronchus].
The bronchus intermedius is the lower part of the main bronchus on the right side. The bronchus intermedius begins just below the point where the upper lobe bronchus branches off from the main bronchus. The bronchus intermedius branches into the middle lobe bronchus and the lower lobe bronchus.
Scope of Regional Lymph Node Surgery--Breast: How should this field be coded when a mastectomy that removed 3 sentinel lymph nodes is later followed by an axillary lymph node dissection that removed 17 lymph nodes? Should all of the lymph node information be coded to this field, even though the Number of Regional Lymph Nodes Examined field will be coded to the number of lymph nodes from the most definitive surgery (17)?
For cases diagnosed 1/1/2003 and after: Yes, all of the lymph node information should be coded to the Scope of Regional Lymph Node Surgery field using code 7 [Sentinel node biopsy and code 3, 4, or 5 at different times].
The Number of Regional Lymph Nodes Examined field no longer exists for this time frame.
Grade, Differentiation--All Sites: What code is used to represent this field when a pathology report describes a tumor as a low grade neoplasm consistent with a specific histologic type (e.g., Low grade neoplasm consistent with carcinoid)?
Code the Grade, Differentiation field to 2 [Low grade].
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