| Report | Question ID | Question | Discussion | Answer | Year |
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20190092 | First course Treatment/Lymph Nodes: When a Sentinel Lymph Node (SLN) biopsy ONLY is performed and SLNs are negative, are the SLNs included still counted in Regional Nodes (RNs) Examined and RNs Positive, or are the fields filled in: RLN Examined: 00 (No nodes examined) RLN Positive: 98 (No nodes examined) Date RLN Dissection: 00/00/0000 (No RLN dissection performed) or are the SLN included in the RLN Examined/Positive field but the Date RLN Dissection is 00/00/0000? See Discussion. |
According to the 2018 SEER Manual, Sentinel Lymph Nodes (SLNs) Examined and SLNs Positive are included in Regional Nodes (RNs) Examined and RNs Positive when both a sentinel node biopsy procedure and a subsequent dissection procedure are performed or a sentinel node biopsy procedure is performed during the same procedure as the regional node dissection. |
If a SLN biopsy is performed but no RLN dissection is performed, assign as follows. Date of Regional Lymph Node Dissection: Leave blank as this field records the date non-sentinel regional node dissection was performed. Date of Regional Lymph Node Dissection Flag: Assign code 11 (Not applicable: No proper value is applicable in this context (for example, no regional lymph node dissection was performed; autopsy only cases). Regional Nodes Examined: Indicate the number of SLNs examined as this is cumulative from all procedures that remove lymph nodes through the completion of surgeries in the first course of treatment. Regional Nodes Positive: Indicate the number of SLNs positive as this is cumulative from all procedures that remove lymph nodes through the completion of surgeries in the first course of treatment. |
2019 |
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20190073 | Solid Tumor Rules (2018)/Multiple primaries--Lung: How many primaries should be reported for a patient with a March 2018 diagnosis of non-small cell carcinoma with neuroendocrine differentiation on lung biopsy (single left upper lobe tumor only) who also has a prior history of left lung squamous cell carcinoma in 2016 (treated with chemotherapy/radiation)? See Discussion. |
The Solid Tumor Rules instruct us not to use differentiation for coding histology unless it is specifically listed in the table. The terminology non-small cell carcinoma with neuroendocrine differentiation is not in lung histology Table 2. However, SINQ 20150033, prior to Solid Tumor rules, indicates this diagnosis should be coded to 8574 (adenocarcinoma/carcinoma with neuroendocrine differentiation). This presentation appears to represent distinctly different histologies. However, because the 2018 histology diagnosis is not in the table and the prior SINQ appears to disagree with current instruction, it is not clear how to apply the M rules to this case. The outcome of the histology coding will affect the number of primaries reported in this case. |
Abstract separate primaries according to the 2018 Lung Solid Tumor Rules. Lung Table 3 is not an exhaustive list of lung histologies and the H rules instruct you to use the tables, ICD-O and/or ICD-O updates. Per ICD-O-3, carcinoma with neuroendocrine differentiation is coded to 8574/3; whereas, squamous cell carcinoma is coded to 8070/3. These represent distinct histologies on different rows in Table 3. |
2019 |
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20190004 | Systemic/Surgery Sequence: Does the Systemic/Surgery Sequence field apply to only the first surgery performed (Date of First Surgical Procedure) or does it apply to the most definitive surgery (Date Most Definitive Surgery) as well? See Discussion. |
Example: Bladder primary with transurethral resection of the bladder tumor (TURBT) on 2/17/2017 (Date of First Surgical Proc) followed by a second TURBT on 3/24/2017 (Date Most Definitive Surgery) with mitomycin C instilled on the second, most definitive TURB procedure. There is an edit failure (IFX166) when Systemic/Surgery Sequence is coded 5 (intra-operative systemic) and Systemic Date does not match Date of First Surgical Procedure. How should we capture the intra-operative systemic treatment during the second, most definitive TURB? Is the correct Surgery/Systemic Sequence code 3 (systemic after surgery) for this case because (intra-operative) chemo was technically given after the first surgery? |
Assign code 3 to Systemic/Surgery Sequence and document the intraoperative treatment in the text field. Surgery is defined as a Surgical Procedure to the Primary Site (codes 10-90), Scope of RLN Surgery (codes 1-7), or Surgical Procedure of Other Site (codes 1-5) in the 2018 SEER Manual. In this case, the treatment was after the first surgical procedure. |
2019 |
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20190013 | Laterality--Head and Neck: Were the topography codes C090 and C091 intentionally left off of the Sites for Which Laterality Codes Must Be Recorded table in the 2018 SEER Manual? The codes were also removed from Table 10 in the 2018 Solid Tumor Rules for Head and Neck but appear under coding instructions 1b. and 6b. in the manual. |
Thank you for bringing this to our attention. C090 and C091 were intentionally removed from the list of sites for which laterality must be coded. They should have also been removed from coding instructions 1b and 6b. We will make that correction in the next version of the manual. |
2019 | |
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20190090 | Update to current manual/Extent of Disease/Summary Stage 2018--Fallopian Tube: How are behavior, EOD Primary Tumor, and Summary Stage 2018 coded for a diagnosis of serous tubal intraepithelial carcinoma (STIC) of the fallopian tube? See Discussion. |
The 2018 ICD-O-3 Histology Updates table lists serous tubal intraepithelial carcinoma (C57.0) with a behavior code of 2. The EOD Primary Tumor schema for Fallopian Tube shows STIC has an extension code of 100. It also maps code 100 to Summary Stage 2018 L (localized). Summary Stage 2018 for fallopian tube only documents that intraepithelial tumors are summary stage 0 (in situ). |
We are aware of the issue and have been in discussion with standard setters (SEER, NPCR, AJCC, and NAACCR). At this time, we recommend coding: Histology: 8441/2 Extent of Disease (EOD) Primary Tumor: 000 Summary Stage: 0 AJCC Clin/Path T would be 88, since all in situ lesions are not applicable. Edits will not allow you to have a 8441/2 with a T1. Also, EOD is not currently set up to derive the correct T value, unless you code 100. The change to address the issue will take effect in 2021. |
2019 |
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20190042 | Solid Tumor Rules (2018)/Multiple Primaries--Breast: Is a breast resection showing invasive mucinous carcinoma in a single tumor with associated ductal carcinoma in situ and additional findings of a background of lobular carcinoma in situ single or multiple primaries and which M rule applies? See Discussion |
Example: Right breast core biopsy found ductal carcinoma in situ in the upper outer quadrant. Subsequent resection has a final diagnosis of invasive mucinous carcinoma, grade 1, measuring approximately 7 mm, with close margins. See staging summary. Gross description mentions only the primary tumor with associated marker clip from previous biopsy. Breast Cancer Staging Summary lists (testing and margins removed for brevity): Procedure type: Lumpectomy. Specimen laterality: Right. Tumor size: 7mm. Histologic type: Invasive mucinous carcinoma. Histologic grade (Nottingham histologic score): Grade 1, (score 5/9). Tumor focality: Single focus. Lymph-vascular invasion: Not identified. Treatment effect: No known therapy. Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS): Present. Architectural pattern: Cribriform. Nuclear grade: Grade 1. Necrosis: Not identified. Calcifications: Not identified. Estimated size/extent of DCIS: Spanning an area measuring 15mm. Pathologic stage: pT1b, pNx. (AJCC 8th ed). Distant metastasis: Not applicable. Additional findings: Background lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS), flat epithelial atypia (FEA), and atypical ductal hyperplasia (ADH). |
Apply Breast Solid Tumor Rule M3, abstract a single tumor when there is a single tumor, as there is reference to the primary, single 7 mm tumor. Apply Rule H7 and code the invasive histology only, mucinous carcinoma, when both invasive and in situ components are present. The rules state: Do not use Table 2 Histology Combination Codes for tumors with both invasive and in situ behavior. |
2019 |
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20190051 | Update to current manual/Solid Tumor Rules (2018)/Histology--Lung: What is the histology code and what M Rule applies when there are multiple specific subtypes identified using various equivalent lung terms but only one is stated to be predominant? See Discussion. |
Example: Lung resection final diagnosis is Lung adenocarcinoma, see Summary Cancer Data, and the Summary Cancer Data (CAP Synoptic Report) states Histologic type: Invasive adenocarcinoma, solid predominant. Other Subtypes Present: 20% acinar and <5% micropapillary components. Instruction 1B and Note 1 for Coding Multiple Histologies (Lung Histology Rules) indicates type, subtype, component, and predominantly are all terms that may be used to code the most specific histology. In this case, the multiple specific histologies were documented using all of those terms. Note 2 for instruction 1B states predominantly describes the greatest amount of tumor and when it is used for the listed subtypes of adenocarcinoma, that subtype should be coded. However, Note 2 does not indicate that the other subtypes are ignored when one is identified to be predominant and the others are identified as subtype or component only. |
Code to invasive adenocarcinoma, solid predominant (8230/3), based on the example, using Lung Solid Tumor Rules Coding Multiple Histologies instruction #1 that says to code the specific histology where the most specific histology may be described as component, majority/majority of, or predominantly, in this case, 75%. Apply Rule M2 as this appears to be a single tumor with multiple histologies based on the information provided. The rules will be updated to add a new H rule and to reviseTable 2 when two or more histologies described as predominant are present. |
2019 |
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20190022 | Solid Tumor Rules (2018)/Histology--Lung: Is histology code or the number of primaries assigned differently in SINQ 20180093 if the word "pattern' was omitted? See Discussion. |
Regarding the answer to SINQ 20180093: This is a single primary; coded 8140/3 adenocarcinoma. In the biopsy and the two tumors found on lobectomy, the specific adenocarcinoma histologies are described as acinar predominant pattern, solid growth pattern and lepidic predominant pattern. You do not code a pattern, so rule M7 above applies and this is a single primary. My question is based on Note 2 in Coding Multiple Histologies for lung cancers that says: Predominantly describes the greater amount of tumor. Predominant and majority are synonyms. Per the CAP protocol, the term predominant is acceptable for the following specific subtypes of adenocarcinoma. For these subtypes only, the word predominant is used to describe both the subtype and the grade of the tumor. |
If the word "pattern' was omitted, you would abstract multiple primaries per the Lung Solid Tumor Rule M6 and code histology to adenocarcinoma, acinar predominant (8551/3) and adenocarcinoma, lepidic predominant (8250/3) per Rule H4 as the word "pattern' is not included in each histology. |
2019 |
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20190031 | Primary site--Head & Neck: Are cases with positive cervical lymph nodes that are EBV positive (EBV+) coded to the nasopharynx, and cases with positive cervical lymph nodes that are p16 positive (p16+) coded to the oropharynx, when no primary site is identified? See Discussion. |
This question involves positive cervical lymph nodes with an unknown primary site. The SEER Manual says under the coding instructions for Primary Site: 14. b.Use the NOS category for the organ system or the Ill-Defined Sites (C760-C768) if the physician advisor cannot identify a primary site. Note: Assign C760 for Occult Head and Neck primaries with positive cervical lymph nodes. Schema Discriminator 1: Occult Head and Neck Lymph Nodes is used to discriminate between these cases and other uses of C760. Does SEER agree with AJCC that cases with positive cervical lymph nodes that are EBV+ should be coded to the nasopharynx and cases with positive cervical lymph nodes that are p16+ should be coded to the oropharynx, if no primary site is identified? |
Assign primary site C119 (nasopharynx) for occult head and neck tumors with cervical metastasis in Levels I-VII, and other group lymph nodes that are positive for Epstein "Barr virus (EBV+) (regardless of p16 status) encoded small RNAs (EBER) identified by in situ hybridization. Assign primary site C109 (oropharynx) for occult head and neck tumors with cervical metastasis in Levels I-VII, and other group lymph nodes, p16 positive with histology consistent with HPV-mediated oropharyngeal carcinoma (OPC). |
2019 |
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20190005 | Primary Site--Bladder: Does instruction #4 in the Urinary Sites Solid Tumor Rules Instructions for Coding Primary Site apply to a mix of in situ and invasive urothelial tumors? Instruction #4: Code Urinary System NOS C689 when there are multiple non-contiguous tumors in multiple organs within the urinary system. See Discussion. |
Example: Patient has multiple biopsies with final diagnosis of in situ papillary urothelial carcinoma in the prostatic urethra and invasive papillary urothelial carcinoma in the bladder. How should primary site be coded in this type of mixed in situ and invasive situation? |
Code Urinary System NOS C689 for this case since there are two separate urinary sites involved. Apply instruction #4 when there is a mix of in situ and invasive urothelial tumors. |
2019 |
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