Reason for No Cancer-Directed Surgery--Lung: How do you code this field for a lung primary that presents with metastasis to the bone and brain in which the oncologist's treatment plan includes only radiation and chemotherapy?
Code the Reason for No Cancer-Directed Surgery field to 1 [Cancer-Directed Surgery Not Recommended].
CS Site Specific Factor--Breast: If the tumor is described as being a 1 cm poorly differentiated pleomorphic lobular carcinoma with scattered LCIS in breast tissue, for SSF6, do we use the breast tumor or all of the breast tissue removed when coding SSF6?
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.
Site Specific Factor 6 in the breast scheme describes the relationship of invasive and in situ tumor in the tumor size coded. Code SSF6 for the same tumor used to code tumor size.
For this example, code SSF6 for the 1 cm tumor. In this case, the entire tumor is reported as invasive; use code 000 [Entire tumor reported as invasive].
MP/H Rules/Histology--Lung: How is the histology coded for a single tumor of the left lower lobe that is stated to be a sarcomatoid carcinoma with features of carcinosarcoma, spindle cell carcinoma, poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma and giant cell carcinoma?
Histology is sarcomatoid carcinoma [8033/3]. This case was sent to the lung physician experts because of the difficulty in trying to apply the current MP/H rules. Their rationale for the coding decision follows:
"This pathologist has diagnosed a sarcomatoid carcinoma, and then listed all of the subtypes associated with that diagnosis. I would go with the primary diagnosis, sarcomatoid carcinoma. The inclusion of squamous cell differentiation would exclude spindle cell and giant cell as diagnoses, so the pathologist is using them descriptively. We have no basis for picking one of the subtypes and sarcomatoid carcinoma covers all of the diagnoses given."
See the glossary in the Lung Equivalent Terms and Definitions for Sarcomatoid carcinoma: A group of tumors that are non-small cell in type and contain spindle cells and/or giant cells. Depending on the histologic features the tumor may be designated: pleomorphic carcinoma [8022/3]; spindle cell carcinoma [8032/3]; giant cell carcinoma [8031/3], carcinosarcoma [8980/3]; or pulmonary blastoma [8972/3].
Histology (Pre-2007)--Prostate: What code is used to represent the histology "adenocarcinoma, cribriform type"?
For tumors diagnosed prior to 2007:
Code the Histology field to 8201/3 [cribriform carcinoma]. The word "type" is a term that indicates majority of the tumor. The term "cribriform" would be a term used to determine the histology 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.
Diagnostic Confirmation--Leukemia: How is this field coded when the clinician confirms that the diagnosis of CML is based on a combination of the clinical picture and positive cytogenetic studies?
Assign code 1 [Positive histology]. For leukemia only, assign code 1 for positive hematologic findings including peripheral blood smears, CBCs and WBCs.
Cytogenetics studies would have been done on blood. Therefore, histology provided diagnostic confirmation as it would with smear, bone marrow, or other special study of blood cells.
Primary site: What primary site do I assign to a Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the parapharyngeal space when there is no other info available regarding a more definitive site within the parapharyngeal space? Each physician involved with the case states the primary site is the parapharyngeal space. This is a patient who was diagosed and treated elswhere and was seen at our hospital several months later for a radical neck dissection for suspected lymph node mets.
Assign C139 for a primary originating in the parapharyngeal space. This space contains part of the parotid gland, adipose tissue, lymph nodes, nerves, arteries and veins.
Reportability--Skin: Effective 2021, a cutaneous leiomyosarcoma is a related term for smooth muscle tumor, NOS (8897/1) in ICD-O-3.2. Currently, we have been capturing these as a C44_ (leiomyosarcoma, 8890/3) but the 2019 SEER inquiry states that atypical intradermal smooth muscle neoplasm (AISMN) was previously termed cutaneous leiomyosarcoma. This is not documented on the 2018 ICD-O-3 updates. Should this 2019 case be 8897/1 or 8890/3?
Cutaneous leiomyosarcoma is reportable for 2019. Code histology to leiomyosarcoma 8890/3.
As of cases diagnosed 1/1/2021, it is no longer reportable based on assignment to 8897/1 in ICD-O-3.2.
EOD-Extension--Stomach: What code is used to represent this field for a stomach primary described as linitis plastica?
For cases diagnosed 1998-2003:
Code the EOD-Extension field to 30 [Localized, NOS], unless more information is known about the extent of tumor involvement. Coding the Histology field to 8142/3 [Linitis plastica] and the Size of Primary Tumor field to 998 [Diffuse; widespread; 3/4 or more: Linitis plastica] identifies this diagnosis.
In the EOD-Extension field, the depth of invasion is the important characteristic to be coded. The 10 digit EOD corresponds to the AJCC Staging Manual in which the "T" is based on level of invasion. While a diagnosis of linitis plastica indicates a worse prognosis, it does not define the extent of infiltration. There is no luminal mass with linitis plastica. Instead, the entire gastric wall is thickened by tumor.
Smoldering multiple myeloma [9732/3] has always been a reportable neoplasm. Per the Abstractor Notes section in the Heme, smoldering multiple myeloma is a variant of multiple myeloma in which the diagnostic requirements for multiple myeloma are met, but there is no organ damage. The patient is usually asymptomatic.
Smoldering myeloma is listed under the Alternate Names section in the Heme DB for multiple myeloma [9732/3] to clarify that it is a reportable neoplasm.
Report all new diagnoses of smoldering multiple myeloma now. Registries are not required to spend time and effort to find these cases if they have not been reporting them in the past. However, report earlier earlier cases if encountered today while performing casefinding or chart review procedures.
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.
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