| Report | Question ID | Question | Discussion | Answer | Cancer Site Category | Data Item Category | Year |
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20021040 | Other Therapy: What code is used to represent treatment with "Epithilone" or "Epothilone"? | Code the Other Cancer-Directed Therapy field to 2 [Other experimental cancer-directed therapy (not included elsewhere)], until the exact mechanism of action is determined for this drug. This drug is in phase I clinical trials. It has a similar action to Taxol, but is derived from a different source. | N/A | Other therapy | 2002 | |
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20010122 | Primary Site/EOD-Extension/EOD-Lymph Nodes--All Sites: What codes are used to represent these fields for an "extramedullary myeloid tumor (granulocytic sarcoma)" of the colon with positive or negative lymph nodes? |
For cases diagnosed 1998-2003: If only the extramedullary site is involved, such as colon, code the Primary Site field to the site of origin. Granulocytic or myeloid sarcoma is an exception to the rule that all leukemias should be coded to bone marrow as the primary site. Granulocytic sarcoma is a deposit of malignant myeloid cells in a site other than bone marrow (extramedullary). For EOD staging, granulocytic sarcoma [9930/3] is included in the Hematopoietic, Reticuloendothelial, Immunoproliferative and Myeloproliferative Neoplasms scheme and the Extension field is coded to 10 when the lymph nodes are negative, since it (like solitary plasmacytoma) is a localized deposit of tumor. However, if the regional lymph nodes associated with the extramedullary primary site are involved, code the EOD-Extension field to 80 [Systemic disease] because the disease is no longer an isolated deposit of malignant granulocytes (in other words, it is not localized). The EOD-Lymph Nodes field is coded to 9 regardless of whether or not the lymph nodes are involved because that is the only allowable code for that field. |
N/A | Primary site | 2001 | |
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20230030 | Primary site: Is there a physician priority list for coding primary site? For example, the surgeon states during a pancreatectomy that the primary is in body while the pathologist states in their synopitc report that primary is neck; neither is in agreement, or neither is available for confirmation. |
As a general rule, the surgeon is usually in a better position to determine the site of origin compared to the pathologist. The surgeon sees the tumor in its anatomic location, while the pathologist is often using information given to him/her by the surgeon and looking at a specimen removed from the anatomic landmarks. However, when a pathologist is looking at an entire organ, such as the pancreas, he/she may be able to pinpoint the site of origin within that organ. In the case of pancreas body vs. neck, the neck is a thin section of the pancreas located between the head and the body. It may be a matter of opinion whether a tumor is located in the "body" vs. the "neck." In the situation you describe, we would give preference to the surgeon and assign the code for body of pancreas, C251. |
N/A | Primary site | 2023 | |
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20041032 | Primary Site--Head & Neck: How is this field coded for a tongue primary described as "located on the lateral" or "left oral" tongue? See Discussion. | Case 1. Patient with squamous cell carcinoma, left oral tongue. Case 2. Squamous cell carcinoma, left lateral tongue. Case 3. Patient status post biopsy of lesion on tongue. Exam: healing left lateral tongue incision with sutures in place in underside of tongue. |
Code Primary Site for cases 1 and 2 above to C023 [Anterior 2/3 of tongue, NOS]. Code lateral tongue without mention of dorsal or ventral surface to C023 [Anterior 2/3 of tongue, NOS].
Code Primary Site for case 3 to C022 [Ventral surface of tongue]. The underside of the tongue is specified as the site of the biopsy in case 3. |
Head & Neck | Primary site | 2004 |
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20020016 | Primary Site (Pre-2007)--Prostate/Prostatic Urethra: What code is used to represent primary site for an "adenocarcinoma with spindle cell differentiation" of the prostatic urethra? | For tumors diagnosed prior to 2007:
Code the Primary Site field to C61.9 [prostate] because the histology is adenocarcinoma.
When a malignancy is identified in the prostatic urethra, look at the histology to determine the primary site. If it is a transitional cell carcinoma, code the Primary Site field to C68.0 [urethra] and if it is an adenocarcinoma, code to C61.9 [prostate].
The EOD scheme is ultimately collapsed into the TNM scheme. The TNM system differentiates between adenocarcinoma of the prostate and transitional cell carcinoma of the urethra. Only adenocarcinoma of the prostate is staged by the prostate scheme. Transitional cell carcinoma of the prostatic urethra is coded to C68.0 [urethra] and staged with that scheme.
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. |
Prostate | Primary site | 2002 | |
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20160021 | Primary Site--Stomach: How do I code the primary site when the operative report and pathology report state that the tumor site is incisura of the stomach? |
Assign C163. Incisura, incisura angularis, gastric angular notch, angular incisure of stomach all refer to the sharp angular depression in the lesser curvature of the stomach at the junction of the body with the pyloric canal. See Gastric angular notch in #12 on page 76 in the SEER manual, http://seer.cancer.gov/manuals/2015/SPCSM_2015_maindoc.pdf. See also the SEER training website, #12 on the illustration corresponds to the angular notch, http://training.seer.cancer.gov/ugi/anatomy/stomach.html. We will correct the key for this illustration. |
Stomach | Primary site | 2016 | |
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20021031 | Primary Site--Meninges: Should the primary site for a meningioma of the right frontal lobe be coded to C71.1 or C70.0? See discussion. | In the opinion of some neurologists it is more important to capture the lobe in which the meningioma is located rather than code the primary site to meninges. Should a meningioma always be coded to meninges for primary site? | Code the Primary Site field to C70.0 [cerebral meninges], the suggested site code for most meningiomas. Meningiomas arise from the meninges, not the brain (although they can invade brain). ICD-O-3 does not differentiate the specific location of the brain that the meninges cover. The information of interest to neurologists would have to be captured in an optional or user-defined field. | Brain and CNS | Primary site | 2002 |
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20130032 | Primary site--Heme & Lymphoid Neoplasms: How is the primary site coded for plasma cell myeloma with radiologic evidence of multiple lytic lesions? See Discussion. | Patient complained of pain in the right side and back right upper flank area. CT shows an anterior mediastinal mass and abnormal appearance of skeleton. CXR: Age indeterminate T8 compression fracture. CT chest: abnormal appearance of skeleton. Correlate clinically for myeloma or mets. Acute T5 or T8 compression fractures. Anterior mediastinal mass which may represent thymoma, lymph nodes or metastases. 03/22/12 Metastatic Series: Nonspecific hypodensities in pelvis, left hip and right acromion. Possibility of myeloma can't be totally excluded. Bone marrow right post iliac crest core biopsy, clot section and aspirate: plasma cell myeloma.
Should the primary site be coded to the bone marrow because the diagnosis of plasma cell myeloma was supported by radiologic evidence of multiple lytic lesions? The bone marrow biopsy confirmed the radiology reports. |
Updated May 2026 Code the primary site to C421 [bone marrow] per the Heme DB. The Primary Site(s) section in the Heme DB indicates the primary site for plasma cell myeloma is C421 [bone marrow]. |
Heme & Lymphoid Neoplasms | Primary site | 2013 |
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20100043 | Primary site--Heme & Lymphoid Neoplasms: When only pathology reports are available, how should the primary site be coded when a both a bone marrow biopsy and colon biopsy demonstrate "mantle cell lymphoma"? |
For cases diagnosed 2010 and forward, access the Hematopoietic Database at http://seer.cancer.gov/seertools/hemelymph.
For this case, code primary site to C189 [colon, NOS] per Rule PH24.
Mantle cell lymphoma usually begins with lymph node involvement and spreads to other tissue. However, it can begin in a lymphocyte such as those in the GI tract. Per the Abstractor Notes section in the Heme DB, patients usually present with advanced disease. About half will have some combination of B symptoms. Swelling of lymph nodes and spleen are usually present. Bone marrow, liver and GI tract involvement occurs in a very high percentage
SEER*Educate provides training on how to use the Heme Manual and DB. If you are unsure how to arrive at the answer in this SINQ question, refer to SEER*Educate to practice coding hematopoietic and lymphoid neoplasms. Review the step-by-step instructions provided for each case scenario to learn how to use the application and manual to arrive at the answer provided. https://educate.fhcrc.org/LandingPage.aspx. |
Heme & Lymphoid Neoplasms | Primary site | 2010 | |
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20130019 | Primary site--Heme & Lymphoid Neoplasms: How is the primary site coded when a patient has a lymph node biopsy and peripheral blood that are positive for B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma but refuses a bone marrow biopsy? | For cases diagnosed 2010 and forward, access the Hematopoietic Database at http://seer.cancer.gov/seertools/hemelymph.
Code the primary site to C421 [bone marrow] per Rule PH5. Note 1 for Rule PH5 states CLL always has peripheral blood involvement. If the peripheral blood is positive for CLL/SLL and no bone marrow biopsy is done, code the primary site to C421 [bone marrow].
SEER*Educate provides training on how to use the Heme Manual and DB. If you are unsure how to arrive at the answer in this SINQ question, refer to SEER*Educate to practice coding hematopoietic and lymphoid neoplasms. Review the step-by-step instructions provided for each case scenario to learn how to use the application and manual to arrive at the answer provided. https://educate.fhcrc.org/LandingPage.aspx. |
Heme & Lymphoid Neoplasms | Primary site | 2013 |
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