Report | Question ID | Question | Discussion | Answer | Year |
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20051132 | Primary Site/CS Extension/CS Lymph Nodes--Lung: How are these fields coded for untreated lung primaries when only limited information is available from scans, bronchoscopies and biopsies? See Discussion. | 3/13/04 CT scan Chest: extensive mediastinal, subcarinal, rt hilar lymphadenopathy; separate tumor mass in medial rt lung 3/16/04 Bronchoscopy: RLL/RML completely obstructed with extrinsic compression. Impression: CA of lung with hilar adenopathy. Bronchial wash: PD non small cell CA Bx RLL: up to 0.2 cm PD Adenocarcinoma c/w primary lung CA. Treatment not recommended. Expired 5/03/04. |
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 primary is in the right lung according to the available information. Assign CS extension code 10 [Tumor confined to one lung]. The only information on extension is that there is a tumor in one lung. Assign CS Lymph Nodes code 20 [Mediastinal and subcarinal lymph node involvement]. The CT scan confirms mediastinal and subcarinal lymphadenopathy. Code tumor Size as 999 [Unknown]. "Completely obstructed" is not a size. Do not code the size of the biopsy specimen. |
2005 |
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20051010 | Primary Site/Priorities--Breast: When there are conflicting references to subsite in different reports, which report has priority? See Discussion. | The clinical site of the palpable mass is outer quadrant. The pathologist states inflammatory breast cancer located in the central breast. Should the site be coded to C501 for central breast, C509 for inflammatory breast ca, or C508 for outer quadrant? | Code the breast subsite from the pathology report (C501, central). The priority order for coding subsite from conflicting reports is 1. Pathology report 2. Operative report 3. Physical examination 4. Mammogram, ultrasound The primary site of inflammatory breast carcinoma is coded to C509 when there is no palpable tumor. |
2005 |
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20051145 | CS Extension/CS Mets at Dx--Colon: How is a small focus of metastatic disease in the submucosa coded for a sigmoid primary? See Discussion. |
Path final diagnosis states: "No lymph node metastases identified. One submucosal met in a block taken from a surgical margin section." Path micro states: "Microscopic involvement of the border between the serosa and muscularis propria. Sections of proximal & distal surgical margins reveal no tumor in one, and a small focus of metastatic disease in the submucosa of the other. This focus of tumor exists in a small vascular channel and is complete in and of itself; ie, it has not been cut thru by excision of the specimen from the patient." |
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. This submucosal metastasis does not affect CS extension. It is not part of CS or TNM staging. According to the TNM supplement, "Multiple tumour foci in the mucosa or submucosa ("skip metastasis") are not part of the TNM classification and should not be classified as distant metastasis. |
2005 |
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20051093 | CS Lymph Nodes/Scope of Regional Lymph Node Surgery--Prostate: When prostate cancer is an incidental finding at cystoprostatectomy for bladder cancer, is the pelvic lymph node dissection coded for the prostate as well as the bladder? | 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. Yes, the pelvic lymph node dissection is coded as regional lymph node surgery for both primaries and the nodes are counted in collaborative staging for both primaries. The examination of the pelvic lymph nodes is relevant to both the bladder and the prostatic primaries. |
2005 | |
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20051135 | 2004 SEER Manual Errata/CS Tumor Size--Can the Determining Descriptive Tumor Size information, on page 6 in the SEER EOD Manual, January 1998, be used to code descriptive tumor size in Collaborative Stage? | 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. Use the instructions in the CS Manual, Appendix 1, page 62. This information will be added to the 2004 SEER manual in the next update. Do not use the Determining Descriptive Tumor Size information from EOD for CS Tumor Size. |
2005 | |
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20051103 | CS Extension/Histology (Pre-2007)--Melanoma: When do the terms "regression is present," "apparent regression," or "undergoing regression" affect the coding of melanoma cases? See Discussion. | For melanoma, many path reports document the presence or absence of regression. At what point does the presence of regression become significant enough to code it for histology and for CS Extension?
Example 1: Skin biopsy showed malignant melanoma, Breslow thickness 0.38 mm, Clark's level II, ulceration is absent, regression is present. Example 2: Punch biopsy showed malignant melanoma, Clark's level II, 0.34-mm maximum depth of invasion, with apparent regression. Example 3: Skin biopsy showed lentigo maligna undergoing regression. |
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. For tumors diagnosed prior to 2007:
Regression does not affect CS staging for cutaneous melanoma. "Malignant melanoma, regressing" [8723] is coded only when it is the final diagnosis. Do not use code 8723 for the examples above. According to our pathologist consultant: Melanoma can occasionally undergo "spontaneous" regression -- the tumor can become smaller, and in some cases even disappear. This phenomenon is likely due to an increased immune response on the part of the "host" (person with the melanoma). This is noted occasionally in patients with metastatic disease which gets smaller, or even disappears. We think this is also what has happened in patients who get diagnosed with metastatic melanoma, say in a lymph node, but have no primary tumor, though sometimes give a history of a skin lesion which came and then went away, or a skin lesion which was not submitted for pathological examination. In addition, we (pathologists) occasionally see biopsies which have melanoma as well as the presence of the immune reaction to it, and once in a while, the immune reaction with little or no evidence of residual melanoma. The College of American Pathologists says that regression of 75% or more of the melanoma carries an adverse prognosis.
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. |
2005 |
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20051075 | CS Extension--Breast: How is this field coded when path describes dermal lymphatic invasion of the nipple? See Discussion. | Example Multicentric infiltrating lobular carcinoma of left breast treated with MRM. Microscopic summary: Blood/lymphatic Vessel Invasion: present. Path final diagnosis: Angiolymphatic invasion present, including dermal lymphatic invasion in nipple. Micro: There is angiolymphatic invasion, including dermal capillary invasion identified in sections of the nipple. The path report describes multiple breast tumors, none of which is located adjacent to the nipple. |
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 20 [Invasion of subcutaneous tissue...] based on the final diagnosis on the path report. There is "dermal lymphatic invasion in nipple." In this case, the stage will be determined by the tumor size. |
2005 |
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20051096 | Primary Site--Peritoneum: During a second look staging lap following a diagnosis of serous carcinoma of the left ovary, did the physician correctly indicate a new peritoneum, NOS primary for disease described as an endometrioid adenocarcinoma in a "paracaval cyst" that appears to have arisen in endometriosis? | The primary site is C482 [Peritoneum, NOS]. "Paracaval" means alongside or near the vena cava. Code the site in which the primary tumor originated. |
2005 | |
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20051111 | Chemotherapy/Immunotherapy: Which drugs changed categories when SEER*Rx came out? | Please refer to http://seer.cancer.gov/tools/seerrx/ SEER*Rx is effective for cases diagnosed 1-1-2005 and forward. It replaces all previous references. It is neither required nor recommended that cases treated prior to 2005 be recoded.
The following drugs in the 5/17/02 Book 8 update changed from immunotherapy to cytostatic chemotherapy in SEER*Rx: alemtuzumab/Campath bexarotene/Targretin bevacizumab/Avastin bortezomib/Velcade pegaspargase/Oncaspar rituximab/Rituxan trastuzumab/Herceptin asparaginase The following drugs may have been coded as monoclonal antibodies but are radioisotopes in SEER*Rx: epratuzumab/LymphoCide ibrituzumab tiuxetan/Zevalin tositumomab/Bexxar Any other monoclonal antibodies either remained as monoclonal antibodies or it was a local decision to code them as immunotherapy. There were no drugs that changed from chemotherapy to immunotherapy. |
2005 | |
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20041030 | Histology (Pre-2007)--Lung: What is the correct histology code for this case of squamous cell carcinoma with several different variants? See Discussion. | The path report from a left pneumonectomy says: This squamous cell carcinoma had several different variants present including typical non-keratinizing squamous cell, spindled cell squamous cell, clear cell squamous cell and a small cell variant of squamous cell. I cannot find a combination code that fits; the majority of the tumor is not stated; so do you code the highest specific type mentioned - 8084 - Squamous cell, clear cell type? |
For tumors diagnosed prior to 2007:
Assign histology code 8070 [squamous cell carcinoma, NOS]. Squamous cell carcinoma, NOS includes types of squamous cell carcinoma without a specific code. This is a combination squamous tumor that does not have a unique code.
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. |
2004 |