Race/Spanish Surname or Origin: How are Race 1 and Spanish
Surname or Origin coded for the following race/ethnicity statements: "INDIGENOUS-LATINO/A
OR INDIGENOUS-LATINX" and "FIRST NATIONS"? See Discussion.
One of the largest hospital systems in our area includes "INDIGENOUS-LATINO/A OR INDIGENOUS-LATINX" and "FIRST NATIONS" as dropdown items for patients to self-select for race/ethnicity. This hospital system serves 51 hospitals and 1,000 clinics across Alaska, California, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas, and Washington. If "INDIGENOUS-LATINO/A OR INDIGENOUS-LATINX" is the only item selected with no additional text info available, how should Race 1 and Spanish Surname or Origin be coded? If "FIRST NATIONS" is the only item selected without additional text info available, should Race 1 be coded as 03?
Assign code 01 (White) for Race 1 when described as Indigenous-Latino/a or Indigenous-Latinx. Indigenous-Latinx is an umbrella term for Indigenous migrants to the United States from Latin America including South and Central America, the Caribbean, and Mexico (for example, Maya, Mixteco, Purépecha, Taino, Zapoteco, etc.). Latin America is listed in Appendix D of the 2025 SEER Manual as White.
Assign code 6 (Spanish, NOS; Hispanic, NOS; Latino, NOS) for Spanish Surname or Origin for Indigenous-Latino/a or Indigenous-Latinx in the absence of more specific information. Code 6 description includes the statement, There is evidence, other than surname or birth surname (maiden name), that the person is Hispanic but he/she cannot be assigned to any of the categories 1-5.
Assign code 03 (American Indian or Alaska Native) when described as First Nations. First Nations usually refers to Indigenous peoples for ethnic groups who are the original or earliest known inhabitants of an area. The term ‘First Nations’ can be applied to individuals, but technically refers only to those who have Indian status under Canadian law as part of a recognized community. Within Canada, the term First Nations is generally used for Indigenous peoples other than Inuit and Métis. Outside Canada, the term can refer to Indigenous Australians, U.S. tribes within the Pacific Northwest, as well as supporters of the Cascadian independence movement.
Solid Tumor
Rules/Multiple Primaries--Testis: How many primaries and what M Rule applies
when metastatic seminoma is diagnosed greater than 40 years after a left
testicular teratoma with yolk sac tumor and embryonal carcinoma? See
Discussion.
The patient was diagnosed with a left testis primary in the early 1980s that did not include a seminoma component per the information available. The slides were not available for review. In 2024, the patient was found to have a metastatic seminoma involving multiple pelvic lymph nodes and the prostate. The right testicular ultrasound was negative. The managing physician noted this was both a "relapsed seminoma" and a "Stage IIC seminoma."
Should the new diagnosis of metastatic seminoma be accessioned as a new primary based on the histology differences? Or is this situation similar to SINQ 20160073 in which this is a single primary even though the metastases are a distinctly different histology?
Without evidence of a new testicular tumor, record this as a single primary now with metastatic disease (seminoma). The seminoma may not have been identified in the original tumor and treatment was based on the histologies found. This allowed the seminoma to metastasize.
Solid Tumor Rules/Histology--Lung: How is histology coded and which H Rule applies for a lung adenocarcinoma when the greatest percentage of the adenocarcinoma is stated to be, "solid; complex glands (cribriform and fused glands) (50%)"? See Discussion.
In 01/2023, right lower lobectomy final diagnosis proved
a single adenocarcinoma tumor with the histological patterns described as
acinar (20%), papillary (30%) and solid; complex glands (cribriform and fused
glands) (50%). There is no H Rule applicable to a complex glandular pattern
adenocarcinoma. Is this equivalent to a solid predominant adenocarcinoma (8230)
per Rule H7? Or is the predominant adenocarcinoma a mixed subtype coded as 8255
per Rule H9?
Histology code 8255/3 best identifies this histology. Complex glands in lung tumors are often associated with a poor prognosis and represent a high-grade pattern in lung cancer grading systems. This histology is not currently recognized as a variant by WHO.
Reportability--Liver: Is a 2023 cholangiocarcinoma case
with Liver Imaging Reporting And Data System (LI-RADS) M (LR-M) lesion on
imaging reportable?
Report LR-M unless there is information to the contrary.
The American College of Radiology defines LR-M as "probably or definitely
malignant, not necessarily hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)."
Immunotherapy/Other
Therapy--Heme & Lymphoid Neoplasms: Is the elimination of immunosuppression
treatment coded as other treatment? An example is when a post-transplant
patient develops a malignant myeloproliferative neoplasm that subsides when
immunosuppression drugs are stopped.
Do not code as a treatment. Record the cessation of
immunosuppressive drug treatment in text to explain the patient’s change in
disease status.
Sequence Number--Central/Reportability--Heme &
Lymphoid Neoplasms: Is a hematolymphoid disease included in the sequencing if it
was not reportable at the time of diagnosis?
Do not include the disease in the sequencing if the
original hematolymphoid disease was not reportable at time of diagnosis.
The 2025 SEER Manual Sequence Number--Central
Coding Instruction 1.a advises: A ‘reportable’ primary refers to the
site/histology/behavior of the tumor and the years when reporting was required.
Review of the reportability requirements in effect during the diagnosis year
will be needed.
Diagnostic Confirmation--Heme & Lymphoid Neoplasms: How
is Diagnostic Confirmation coded for hematopoietic and lymphoid neoplasms (heme)
when immunophenotyping, genetics, etc. confirm the diagnosis.
Assign Code 3 (Positive histology PLUS positive immunophenotyping or genetic testing) for
1. Cases with positive histology for the neoplasm being abstracted (including acceptable ambiguous terminology and provisional diagnosis), AND
Immunophenotyping, genetic testing, or JAK2 is listed in the Definitive Diagnosis in the Heme Database, AND
Testing
Confirms
the neoplasm OR
Identifies a more specific histology (not preceded by ambiguous terminology)
Peripheral blood smear followed by flow cytometry (most commonly done with CLL/SLL, 9823/3)
2. A not otherwise specified (NOS) histology diagnosed and not a provisional diagnosis, AND genetic/immunophenotyping was performed and positive
Refer to the current version of the Heme Manual for specific notes and examples when coding Diagnostic Confirmation.
Reportability/Behavior:
Our registry collects some borderline (behavior /1) cases that are not
reportable to SEER or any other standard setters. Can we assign a behavior code
of /2 to these cases?
Do not assign a behavior code of /2 to these cases unless you
have a way to flag them so that they are not reported to the standard setters
as in situ cases. Work with your state central registry to ensure that these cases are not unintentionally included in state case submission.
Reportability/Behavior--Ovary: Is ovarian mucinous
borderline tumor with foci of multifocal intraepithelial carcinoma reportable?
Report ovarian mucinous borderline tumor with foci of
multifocal intraepithelial carcinoma. The foci of intraepithelial carcinoma
makes this reportable. See the list of synonyms for in situ in the SEER Manual,
Behavior Code data item.
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