MP/H Rules/Histology--Colon: When the microscopic description indicates a colon tumor is "tubulovillous," but the final diagnosis only states "adenocarcinoma," is the histology coded to 8263/3 [adenocarcinoma in a tubulovillous adenoma]?
For cases diagnosed 2007 or later:
Yes. This is an example of a site-specific exception to the general rule to code only from the final diagnosis. The Colon Histology Rules specifically state that "other parts of the pathology report" may be used to identify a tumor arising from a polyp, adenomatous polyp, villous adenoma, or tubulovillous adenoma.
Histology (Pre-2007)--Breast: What code is used to represent the histology "infiltrating lobular carcinoma, solid and classical subtypes"?
For tumors diagnosed prior to 2007:
Code the Histology field to 8520 [Lobular carcinoma].
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.
Surgery of Primary Site--Ovary: What code is used to represent this field when a patient has a history of a previous organ removal and has additional surgery/organ removal for a present cancer (e.g., History of a 1984 hysterectomy and in 2003 has ovarian primary treated with BSO)?
For cases diagnosed 1/1/2003 and after: Code the Surgery of Primary Site field to 52 [Bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy WITH hysterectomy].
Macrocytic anemia is not reportable. Anemia refers to a condition of having a low count of red blood cells. The term "macrocytic" refers to the enlarged size of the red blood cells. Macrocytic anemia is usually caused by vitamin deficiencies, alcohol use, medications or thyroid disorders.
See Appendix F: Non-Reportable List for Hematopoietic Diseases.
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.
First Course Treatment/Neoadjuvant Therapy--Melanoma: How are the three Neoadjuvant Therapy data items (Neoadjuvant Therapy, Neoadjuvant Therapy--Clinical Response, Neoadjuvant Therapy--Treatment Effect) coded when a patient is diagnosed with melanoma in the lymph nodes with no primary skin site identified? The physician gives immunotherapy as neoadjuvant therapy with planned and carried out surgical resection of involved lymph nodes following completion of immunotherapy. There is no "planned definitive surgical resection of the primary site" as no primary site was found,
Assign code 0 to each of the three Neoadjuvant Therapy data items in this situation.
We will add an example to the coding instructions for these data items in the next release of the manual.
Histology--Heme & Lymphoid Neoplasms: Should the 1995 diagnosis be changed to plasmacytoma? A 1995 case on the central registry database indicates that MRI and bone surveys revealed a pubic ramus lesion that was biopsied. There are no other bone lesions. A bone marrow biopsy was negative. The pathologist's diagnosis at that time was "Plasma Cell Myeloma". In 2013 there was a positive bone marrow biopsy and a diagnosis of Plasma Cell Myeloma. In 2013, a history of "sequential plasmacytomas since 1995" was mentioned. Since the 1995 diagnosis was only a solitary bone lesion with no marrow involvement, it certainly seems to fit a diagnosis of plasmacytoma better than myeloma.
Do not change the 1995 diagnosis in this case. It is best to code the histology according to information from the time of the diagnosis. Using information obtained many years later is less reliable.
Update to current manual/Mets at diagnosis fields--Lymphoma: Are distant metastases possible for a lymphoma with a primary site of lymph nodes? The instructions in the SEER manual tell us to assign code 8 in each of the Mets at Dx fields for a lymphoma originating in lymph nodes.
This is a correction to the SEER manual. Lymphomas originating in lymph nodes (C77) could have distant metastases to any site except lymph nodes. The following corrections to the manual apply now and will appear in the next version of the manual.
Remove C770-C779 from the instruction for assigning code 8 on the following pages.
Page 135 Mets at Dx--Bone
Page 137 Mets at Dx--Brain
Page 139 Mets at Dx--Liver
Page 141 Mets at Dx--Lung
Page 145 Mets at Dx--Other
Example
Biopsy of axillary lymph node: Diffuse Large B-Cell lymphoma. Lymph nodes involved above and below the diaphragm, multiple nodules seen in lung, lesions in liver. Bone marrow biopsy positive for DLBLC. Per Hematopoietic manual, primary site would be C778 for multiple lymph node regions involved.
MP/H Rules/Histology--Head & Neck: Please clarify rule H3. The first statement is "Do not code terms that do not appear in the histology description". The second statement is "Do not code...unless the words...appear in the final diagnosis"
One of our pathology labs frequently will state "keratinizing squamous cell" in the microscopic description (histologic description), but only state "squamous cell carcinoma" in the final diagnosis. May we code from the histologic description if it's not in the final diagnosis?
Follow rule H3 and code squamous cell carcinoma for these cases unless you can obtain confirmation that these cases should be coded keratinizing squamous cell carcinoma from the lab and/or pathologist. Document this confirmation in your policies and procedures.
The MP/H rules were written with input from leading pathologists in each specialty area. Based on their expert opinion, we instruct registrars to code histology based on the information in the final diagnosis. The microscopic description may contain other terms, but the pathologist lists only the pertinent terms in the final diagnosis.
Primary Site/Histology (Pre-2007)/EOD Fields/Surgery of Primary Site--Abdomen, NOS: What codes are used to represent these fields for a case with a resection of the rectosigmoid and adjacent tumor mass that demonstrated no tumor in the rectosigmoid but extramural to the colon there was an endometrioid adenocarcinoma arising in association with an area of endometriosis (possibly within the pericolic soft tissue or in an ovarian remnant)?