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Report Produced: 10/14/2026 07:21 AM

Report Question ID Question Discussion Answer Cancer Site Category Data Item Category Year
20061117 Histology (Pre-2007)--Melanoma: Is the code 8740/3 [malignant melanoma in a junctional nevus] to be used when the pathologic diagnosis is "malignant melanoma arising in a compound nevus"?

For tumors diagnosed prior to 2007:

Assign code 8720/3 [malignant melanoma, NOS] for malignant melanoma arising in a compound nevus. A compound nevus is not the same as a junctional nevus.

ICD-O-3 does not have a specific code for melanoma in a compound nevus. Assign the code for the type of melanoma specified; for example, NOS, superficial spreading, etc.

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.

 Melanoma Histology 2006
20061070 Chemotherapy: If a physician does not document the reason chemotherapy was given concurrently with radiation therapy, should it be assumed to have been used as a radiosensitizer or radioprotectant and then, per SEER chemotherapy coding instruction 2, ignore coding the chemo agent as treatment?

Do not assume that a chemo agent given with radiation therapy is a radiosensitizer. Seek additional information.

Compare the dose given to the dose normally given for treatment. When chemotherapeutic agents are used as radiosensitizers or radioprotectants, they are given at a much lower dose.

 N/A Chemotherapy 2006
20021176 Histology (Pre-2007)/Multiple Primaries (Pre-2007)--Breast: What code is used to represent histology for a case with a biopsy specimen that reveals "infiltrating ductal carcinoma with ductal carcinoma in situ, comedo subtype, non-extensive" in one quadrant of the breast and a mastectomy specimen with "invasive pleomorphic lobular carcinoma with lobular carcinoma in situ" in another quadrant of the breast? Paget disease is identified in the nipple section.

For tumors diagnosed prior to 2007:

Code the Histology field to 8522/3 [infiltrating duct and lobular carcinoma]. We are choosing the ductal and lobular combination over the Paget disease and lobular combination because it is more important for analysis purposes.

Be careful in using combination codes to code separate tumors in different locations of the same breast as a single primary. Currently there are only three combination codes for the breast that allow for this situation, 8522 [duct and lobular], 8541 [Paget disease and infiltrating duct] and 8543 [Paget disease and intraductal]. Other histologic type differences that occur as separate tumors in different parts of the same breast are coded as multiple primaries.

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.

 Breast Histology 2002
20031180 Histology (Pre-2007)--Breast: What code is used to represent the histology "ductal adenocarcinoma with medullary features?"

For tumors diagnosed prior to 2007:

Medullary is a subtype of duct and "with features of" is a term that indicates a majority of tumor. If this is an invasive adenocarcinoma with no in situ component, code to 8510/3 [Medullary adenocarcinoma]. If only one of the components is invasive, code that component.

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.

 Breast Histology 2003
20000431

Surgery Fields--Multiple sites: What code is used to represent these fields for the following surgical procedures?

1. Tongue, NOS - Hemiglossectomy with lymph node dissection

2. Choroid - Eye enucleation

3. Vulva, NOS - Vulvectomy with bilateral lymph node dissection

4. Gallbladder - Cholecystectomy

5. Lung - Laminectomy with partial removal of tumor

For cases diagnosed 1/1/03 and later:

1. Code Surgery of Primary Site to 30 and Scope of Regional Lymph Node Surgery to 3.

2. Code Surgery of Primary Site to 41.

3. Code Surgery of Primary Site to 40 and Scope of Regional Lymph Node Surgery to 3.

4. Code Surgery of Primary Site to 40.

5. Code Surgical Procedure of Other Site to 4.

 N/A N/A 2000
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.

 N/A Chemotherapy, Immunotherapy 2005
20031009 Reportability/Behavior Code--Soft Tissue: Is a final diagnosis of a forearm mass diagnosed as "Angiomatoid malignant fibrous histiocytoma [see note]" reportable? The NOTE reads "Angiomatoid malignant fibrous histiocytoma is a low grade borderline lesion with a tendency for local recurrence, but a very low potential for distant metastases." Is behavior /1 or /3? Angiomatoid malignant fibrous histiocytoma is reportable with a behavior code of /3 according to ICD-O-3. The Final Diagnosis takes precedence over the "note." N/A Behavior 2003
20000450 Primary Site--Esophagus: What is the difference between C15.5 [Lower third of esophagus] and C15.2 [Abdominal esophagus]? These descriptions represent the use of two different ways the esophagus can be divided anatomically. The two different systems used are illustrated in the SEER Self Instruction Manual for Tumor Registrars: Book 4. Assign the primary site code that describes the location of the tumor in the same way the tumor's location is described in the medical record. Esophagus Primary site 2000
20000421 Surgery of Primary Site/Reconstruction-First Course--Breast: If the plan is to "reconstruct" the breast 6 months after an ipsilateral modified radical mastectomy, is the time span a problem or should it be coded in the Surgery of Primary Site field because it was planned? For cases diagnosed 1/1/2003 and after: Code the Surgery of Primary Site field to 55 [Modified radical mastectomy WITHOUT removal of uninvolved contralateral breast, Implant]. The time span is not a problem as long as the reconstruction was planned as first course, which is indicated by tissue expander insertion at the time of the original surgery. Breast Surgery of Primary Site 2000
20071086 Histology--Pancreas: How is a "gastrin and somatostatin producing endocrine neoplasm" coded that has lymph node metastasis?

The best code available for this situation is 8153/3 [Gastrinoma, malignant].

Many pancreatic endocrine tumors produce more than one peptide, such as gastrin and somatostatin in this case. ICD-O-3 does not provide a code for pancreatic endocrine tumors which produce more than one peptide. According to the WHO Classification of Tumours of Endocrine Organs, there is a distinct hormonal syndrome associated with gastrin producing tumors, and not with many of the somatostatin producing tumors. Therefore, our pathologist consultant advises us to code to gastrinoma in this case.

 Pancreas Histology 2007