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Report Produced: 02/27/2026 17:01 PM

Report Question ID Question Discussion Answer Year
20190009

First Course Treatment/Surgery of Primary Site--Breast: How is "Goldilocks," also referred to as oncoplastic reconstruction, in the surgery section for breast cancer patients coded?

Code Goldilocks mastectomy in Surgery of Primary Site. Breast surgery code 30 seems to be the best available choice for "Goldilocks" mastectomy. It is essentially a skin-sparing mastectomy with breast reconstruction. The choice between code 30 and codes in the 40-49 range depends on the extent of the breast removal. Review the operative report carefully and assign the code the best reflects the extent of the breast removal.

 2019
20190073

Solid Tumor Rules (2018)/Multiple primaries--Lung: How many primaries should be reported for a patient with a March 2018 diagnosis of non-small cell carcinoma with neuroendocrine differentiation on lung biopsy (single left upper lobe tumor only) who also has a prior history of left lung squamous cell carcinoma in 2016 (treated with chemotherapy/radiation)? See Discussion.

The Solid Tumor Rules instruct us not to use differentiation for coding histology unless it is specifically listed in the table. The terminology non-small cell carcinoma with neuroendocrine differentiation is not in lung histology Table 2.

However, SINQ 20150033, prior to Solid Tumor rules, indicates this diagnosis should be coded to 8574 (adenocarcinoma/carcinoma with neuroendocrine differentiation).

This presentation appears to represent distinctly different histologies. However, because the 2018 histology diagnosis is not in the table and the prior SINQ appears to disagree with current instruction, it is not clear how to apply the M rules to this case. The outcome of the histology coding will affect the number of primaries reported in this case.

Abstract separate primaries according to the 2018 Lung Solid Tumor Rules. Lung Table 3 is not an exhaustive list of lung histologies and the H rules instruct you to use the tables, ICD-O and/or ICD-O updates. Per ICD-O-3, carcinoma with neuroendocrine differentiation is coded to 8574/3; whereas, squamous cell carcinoma is coded to 8070/3. These represent distinct histologies on different rows in Table 3.

 2019
20190061

Solid Tumor Rules (2018)/Multiple primaries--Breast: How many primaries should be reported for a diagnosis of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) on core biopsy of the right breast in 2016 with all treatment refused, followed by a 2019 large right breast mass ulcerating the skin and clinical diagnosis of invasive breast cancer (patient again refused all treatment)? See Discussion.

The patient was never treated for the 2016 diagnosis, so the 2019 diagnosis is the same tumor that has progressed. Prior SINQ 20091096 for a similar case type cited multiple primaries per the 2007 Multiple Primaries/Histology Rules, Rule M8, the same rule as the current Solid Tumor rule M17, because this is to be reported as an incidence case.

However, it seems like Solid Tumor Rule M3 would apply because a single tumor is a single primary, and behavior of the 2016 primary would then be updated from /2 to /3. It is unclear how one would advance to the Multiple Tumors module and apply M17 because there is really only a single tumor in this case.

Since the first diagnosis is in situ, and the later diagnosis is invasive, the 2019 diagnosis is a new primary even though it may be the same non-treated tumor.

For cases diagnosed 2018 and later, abstract multiple primaries according to the 2018 Breast Solid Tumor Rules, Rule M17 that states

Abstract multiple primaries when an invasive tumor occurs more than 60 days after an in situ tumor in the same breast.

Note 1: The rules are hierarchical. Only use this rule when none of the previous rules apply.

Note 2: Abstract both the invasive and in situ tumors.

Note 3: Abstract as multiple primaries even if physician states the invasive tumor is disease recurrence or progression.

Note 4: This rule is based on long-term epidemiologic studies of recurrence intervals. The specialty medical experts (SMEs) reviewed and approved these rules. Many of the SMEs were also authors, co-authors, or editors of the AJCC Staging Manual.

 2019
20190065

Update to current manual/EOD 2018/Summary Stage 2018--CLL/SLL: Can chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) be staged when diagnosed by peripheral blood and no bone marrow biopsy, and observation is employed? See Discussion.

The physicians do not use the Lugano system as we are instructed to stage chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL) as lymphomas. I had always been instructed that this qualifies as "bone marrow involvement," or "diffuse disease," and therefore is a Stage IV. Our experts advise that there is not enough information to code it to bone marrow, but do not elaborate as to whether you can actually code Extent of Disease (EOD), SEER Summary Stage, and AJCC Staging?

For EOD and Summary Stage: Peripheral blood involvement for CLL (or any lymphoma-but most commonly for CLL) can be coded. This is code 800 for 2018 EOD Primary Tumor, and code 7 for Summary Stage 2018. We have recently received confirmation that peripheral blood involvement only is not enough information to assign AJCC stage; assign code 99 for AJCC Stage Group. We will correct in the 2021 release of EOD so that peripheral blood involvement only will have its own code to derive the appropriate AJCC TNM Stage Group (99).

 2019
20190048

Reportability/Histology--Skin: Is malignant hidroacanthoma simplex of the scalp reportable? If so, what is the histology?

Malignant hidroacanthoma simplex of the scalp is reportable. Malignant hidroacanthoma simplex is a synonym for porocarcinoma, 8409/3.

 2019
20190079

Reportability/Histology--Pancreas: Is mucinous cystic neoplasm of pancreas reportable?

Non-invasive mucinous cystic neoplasm (MCN) of the pancreas with low or intermediate grade dysplasia is NOT reportable.

Non-invasive mucinous cystic neoplasm (MCN) of the pancreas with high grade dysplasia is reportable. For neoplasms of the pancreas, the term MCN with high grade dysplasia replaces the term mucinous cystadenocarcinoma, non-invasive.

 2019
20190054

Update to current manual/Solid Tumor Rules (2018)/Histology--Brain and CNS: Table 6 (Non-Malignant CNS Equivalent Terms and Definitions) lists as a subtype/variant of craniopharyngioma 9350/1. This is not a valid histology per the ICD-O-3 or the 2018 ICD-O-3 Update Table. Is this actually supposed to read, ?

Adamantinomatous craniopharyngioma (9351/1) is a subtype of craniopharygioma. We will correct the Non-Malignant CNS Solid Tumor Rules in the next update.

 2019
20190084

Histology/Heme & Lymphoid Neoplasms: Should the histology be coded to chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), BCR-ABL1-positive (9875/3) regardless of the quantitative analysis percentage of BCR-ABL1 that was detected? See Discussion.

Example: Bone marrow biopsy diagnosis is chronic myelogenous leukemia, chronic phase, and the RT-PCR test result proved, BCR-ABL1 p210 (Major Breakpoint) - Detected, 3.3659%.

Even though the p210 fusion transcript was less than 5%, it was detected. The presence of BCR-ABL1 does define whether or not patients are treated with tyrosine kinase therapies. Therefore, it seems likely that the presence of any BCR-ABL1 would be captured using the more specific histology code 9875/3, instead of the non-specific CML, NOS histology code 9863/3.

Are there minimum threshold requirements for these quantitative studies in order to code the histology to the more specific type of CML?

Code chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) BCR-ABL1-positive as 9875/3.

According to the WHO Classification of Tumors of Hematopoietic and Lymphoid Tissues, 4th edition, CML BCR-ABL1-positive is characterized by the chromosomal translocation t(9;22) which results in the formation of the Philadelphia (Ph) chromosome containing the BCR-ABL1 fusion gene. The diagnosis requires detection of the Ph chromosome and/or BCR-ABL1. If the mutation is detected, regardless of percentage, it is positive. Quantitative levels of BCR-ABL are used to monitor response to tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy.

 2019
20190005

Primary Site--Bladder: Does instruction #4 in the Urinary Sites Solid Tumor Rules Instructions for Coding Primary Site apply to a mix of in situ and invasive urothelial tumors?

Instruction #4: Code Urinary System NOS C689 when there are multiple non-contiguous tumors in multiple organs within the urinary system.

See Discussion.

Example: Patient has multiple biopsies with final diagnosis of in situ papillary urothelial carcinoma in the prostatic urethra and invasive papillary urothelial carcinoma in the bladder.

How should primary site be coded in this type of mixed in situ and invasive situation?

Code Urinary System NOS C689 for this case since there are two separate urinary sites involved. Apply instruction #4 when there is a mix of in situ and invasive urothelial tumors.

 2019
20190081

Race: How is race coded for a patient who self-reports as white? In the Family History portion of the genetics consult, it states the maternal family is of mixed European and Cherokee descent; the paternal side is of mixed German/mixed European descent. Is race coded as Race 1: 03-American Indian and Race 2: 01-White, or as 01-White according to self-report by the patient?

Self-reported information is the highest priority for coding race. That is because the race information for the U.S. population comes from census data and that information is self-reported. For national cancer statistics, in order for the numerator (cancer cases) and the denominator (population) to be comparable, use self-reported race information whenever it is available. We will add this clarification to the SEER manual.

 2019