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20190007 | Reportability--Skin: Is atypical intradermal smooth muscle neoplasm (AISMN) of the skin reportable? The comment on the path report states: Atypical intradermal smooth muscle neoplasm (AISMN) was previously termed "cutaneous leiomyosarcoma." |
Atypical intradermal smooth muscle neoplasm (AISMN), previously termed "cutaneous leiomyosarcoma," is not reportable. It is classified as a borderline, /1, neoplasm. |
2019 | |
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20190031 | Primary site--Head & Neck: Are cases with positive cervical lymph nodes that are EBV positive (EBV+) coded to the nasopharynx, and cases with positive cervical lymph nodes that are p16 positive (p16+) coded to the oropharynx, when no primary site is identified? See Discussion. |
This question involves positive cervical lymph nodes with an unknown primary site. The SEER Manual says under the coding instructions for Primary Site: 14. b.Use the NOS category for the organ system or the Ill-Defined Sites (C760-C768) if the physician advisor cannot identify a primary site. Note: Assign C760 for Occult Head and Neck primaries with positive cervical lymph nodes. Schema Discriminator 1: Occult Head and Neck Lymph Nodes is used to discriminate between these cases and other uses of C760. Does SEER agree with AJCC that cases with positive cervical lymph nodes that are EBV+ should be coded to the nasopharynx and cases with positive cervical lymph nodes that are p16+ should be coded to the oropharynx, if no primary site is identified? |
Assign primary site C119 (nasopharynx) for occult head and neck tumors with cervical metastasis in Levels I-VII, and other group lymph nodes that are positive for Epstein "Barr virus (EBV+) (regardless of p16 status) encoded small RNAs (EBER) identified by in situ hybridization. Assign primary site C109 (oropharynx) for occult head and neck tumors with cervical metastasis in Levels I-VII, and other group lymph nodes, p16 positive with histology consistent with HPV-mediated oropharyngeal carcinoma (OPC). |
2019 |
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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 |
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20190095 | Reportability/Histology--Thymus: Is a thymoma a malignancy if described as having separate tumor nodules within peri-thymic adipose tissue? See Discussion. |
Patient had a thymectomy including pericardial fat for a mediastinal mass found incidentally during lung screening. Final diagnosis is WHO B3 thymoma. Staging Summary lists transcapsular invasion: "Present, as separate tumor nodules within peri-thymic adipose tissue." Tumor extension is stated to be "Confined to thymus, including peri-thymic adipose tissue." The pathologist staged this resection as pT1a pNX with no mention of mets. Clinically, there are no noted metastatic sites and no further treatment is planned. |
Report this case as a malignant thymoma. Our expert pathologist consultant reviewed this case and in his opinion, the "separate tumor nodules within peri-thymic adipose tissue" fit registry reporting criteria for separate tumor nodules making this a malignant thymoma. |
2019 |
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20190049 | Lymph nodes/Melanoma: Is a single axillary lymph node regional or distant for a patient diagnosed in 2018 with metastatic melanoma to the brain found via imaging. The staging procedure was an single axillary lymph node excision that was positive for metastatic melanoma. The exact site of the primary was never determined; the primary site is coded to C449. See Discussion. |
The patient was diagnosed in 2018 with met melanoma to the brain found via imaging. The staging procedure was a single axillary lymph node excision which was positive for metastatic melanoma. The exact site of the primary was never determined and the site code is C449. Is the axillary lymph node regional or distant? This affects how I code regional lymph nodes positive, regional lymph nodes examined, and scope of regional lymph node surgery or surgical procedure other site. Similar question was asked in the past (question # 20091101) but I have not found this question restated since the 2018 changes and just want to verify this is still what we are to do. |
Lymph node mets from a melanoma of unknown primary site are presumed to be regional if the lymph node mets are confined to one area, as they are in this case. We are assuming there are no previous melanoma diagnoses for this patient. The workup should include examination of the skin areas that drain to the axillary area. |
2019 |
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20190047 | Reportability/Liver: If on imaging, there is no statement of the Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System (LI-RADS) score but there is reference that a lesion is in the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) 5 category, is hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) reportable based on the OPTN 5 classification? See Discussion. |
SINQ 20160008 discusses the reportabilty and diagnosis date for liver primaries where imaging references the LI-RADS category as LR-5 or LR-5V. The 2018 SEER Coding and Staging Manual, Appendix E Reportable Example #16, demonstrates this concept. According to the LI-RADS categories a value of 5 is "definitely HCC" and is concordant with OPTN 5. Often we see only the OPTN categorization. |
Report HCC based on the OPTN class of 5. OPTN class 5 indicates that a nodule meets radiologic criteria for HCC. Be sure to document in text fields. |
2019 |
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20190108 | Primary site--Breast: how is subsite coded for a breast cancer when it is described as central portion between 1-3:00 or central portion at 12:00? |
See the SEER coding guidelines for breast, https://seer.cancer.gov/manuals/2018/AppendixC/Coding_Guidelines_Breast_2018.pdf Generally, codes C502 - C505 are preferred over C501. C501 would be preferred over C508. Apply these general guidelines when there is no other way to determine the subsite using the available medical documentation. Table 1, Primary Site codes, in the breast solid tumor rules also provide helpful information for coding site. |
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20190057 | Reportability/Histology--Penis: Are and (PeIN) equivalent to PeIN3 and thus reportable? See Discussion. |
Appendix E1 of the 2018 SEER manual references a similar diagnosis as being reportable for vulva and vagina only. However, the WHO Classification of Tumors of the Urinary System and Male Genital Organs (4th ed) does include high grade penile intraepithelial neoplasia as a synonym for 8077/2. |
Penile intraepithelial neoplasia, grade III (PeIN III) and squamous cell carcinoma in situ of the penis are reportable. If possible, query the physicians as to whether "high grade penile intraepithelial lesion" or are synonymous with one of the reportable terms. If no further information can be obtained, report the case as C609 8077/2, and use text fields to document the details. |
2019 |
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20190077 | Summary Stage 2018/EOD 2018--Thymus: How should SEER Summary Stage 2018 be coded for a 2018 thymus primary which has mediastinal fat invasion without mediastinal pleural involvement? See Discussion. |
The Extent of Disease (EOD) manual states that "Confined to thymus WITH mediastinal or pleural involvement" should be coded as regional by direct extension. I have EOD primary tumor coded as 200 and based on SEER*RSA, this is localized. |
Code 200 derives Regional Extension (RE) for Summary Stage; however, based on the information you provided, thymus primary with mediastinal fat invasion without mediastinal pleural involvement, EOD Primary Tumor would be coded to 100: Confined to thymus (encapsulated tumor), which includes extension into the mediastinal fat; No mediastinal or pleura involvement. This derives "Localized" for Summary Stage. Per AJCC T1, extension into the mediastinal fat is separate from involvement of the mediastinal pleura. For Summary Stage 2018, this would be code 1, Localized only (localized, NOS): Confined to thymus, NOS; No mediastinal or pleura involvement or UNKNOWN if involved. We will note that "extension into the mediastinal fat" is included in code 100 for the next release (September 2020). |
2019 |
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20190020 | Solid Tumor Rules (2018)/Histology--Head & Neck: What table in the Head and Neck Solid Tumor Rules applies to tumors of the lip (C000-C009)? The rules apply to all tumors in sites C000-C148, C300-C339, C410, C411, C442 and C479, but none of the histology tables include the lip. See Discussion. |
Example: Patient has a secretory carcinoma of minor salivary gland tissue (mammary analogue secretory carcinoma [MASC]) of the mucosal lower lip; it is unclear which table to use and how to arrive at the correct histology using the H Rules. Rule H1 (code the histology when only one histology is present) states, Note 1: Use Tables 1-9 to code histology. There is no table that includes the lip. The correct histology should be 8502 which is listed in Table 6 (Tumors of Salivary Glands) however this does not correspond to minor salivary glands of the mucosal lip (site C003 per ICD-O-3 coding instruction). The 2018 ICD-O-3 Update table does not include this histology, however Table 6 indicates code 8502 (secretory carcinoma) is a new code that was approved by IARC/WHO. The ICD-O-3 only includes this histology as secretory carcinoma of breast. Therefore, in order to arrive at the correct histology, one must be aware of previous SINQ entries 20160036 and 20130003 that indicate secretory carcinoma (or MASC) is histology 8502. However, these are related to MP/H Rules, so registrars may be hesitant to apply this guideline to cases coded using Solid Tumor Rules. |
Assign 8502/3 using Table 6 of 2018 Solid Tumor Rules for Head and Neck. Table 4 notes that there is no ICD-O site code for minor salivary glands. Many minor salivary glands are located in the lips, inner cheek (buccal mucosa), and there are extensive minor salivary glands in the linings of the mouth and throat. Code to the site in which the salivary gland is located. Mammary analog secretory carcinoma (MASC), also called secretory carcinoma, is a rare, generally low-grade salivary gland carcinoma characterized by morphological resemblance to mammary secretory carcinoma and ETV6-NTRK3 gene fusion. Common sites are of the parotid gland, oral cavity, submandibular gland, and the axilla with rare sites being the face including the lips, trunk, and limbs according to WHO Classification of Head and Neck Tumors, 4th edition and WHO Classification of Skin Tumors, 4th edition. This histology is usually associated with primary site of breast and you may get an edit that you can override. |
2019 |
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