| Report | Question ID | Question | Discussion | Answer | Year |
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20200074 | Solid Tumor Rules (2018)/Histology--Head & Neck: What specific table(s) in the 2021 Head and Neck Solid Tumor Rules if any, apply to tumors of the lip? See Discussion. |
Lip has not been added to any of the site-specific histology tables, nor has any other instruction been provided for coding tumors in this site. Coding histology for lip primaries is difficult because registrars do not know where to look first. The Solid Tumor Rules indicate one should use the tables first, but then do not inform registrars what table to use for a lip primary (i.e., a specific table, any table, no table). This question was prompted from preparing SEER*Educate coding exercises. We will use the answer as a reference in the rationales. |
The tables are based on WHO H&N chapters which do not include lip. There are inherent issues in determining reportability for lip primaries based on site and histology. The decision was made prior to release of the 2018 rules to exclude a histology table for lip. We are consulting both our dermatology and H&N pathology experts to explore adding a lip site-specific table to the rules. |
2020 |
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20200086 | Solid Tumor Rules (2018)/Histology--Head & Neck: Paraganglioma, NOS is reportable and malignant for cases diagnosed 1/1/2021 and later. Paraganglioma, NOS is listed in the ICD-O-3.2 Coding Table as 8680/3 without synonyms or related terms. Table 4 (ICD-O-3.2 Implementation Guidelines) lists 8693/3 Paraganglioma as a new preferred term. Is this correct? See Discussion. |
Table 4 (Changes in reportable terminology), 2021 ICD-O-3.2 Update, does confirm that the term malignant no longer needs to be used to describe a paraganglioma, but Table 4 includes the histology for extra-adrenal paraganglioma, NOS (8693/3) as the new preferred term for paraganglioma. Paraganglioma, NOS is histology code 8680/3. Which code is correct? This question was prompted from preparing SEER*Educate coding exercises. We will use the answer as a reference in the rationales. |
The correct code for extra-adrenal paraganglioma is 8693/3. The preferred term for 8380/3 is Paraganglioma, NOS. Table 4 of the 2021 ICD-O update was based on information from WHO. Table 9 in the Head and Neck ST rules is being revised and formatted differently for ease of coding based on diagnosis year (prior to 2021 and 2021 forward). Not ALL paragangliomas will be included in Table 9. If a term and code are not provided in the rules, refer to ICD-O and updates. |
2020 |
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20200038 | Solid Tumor Rules (2018)/Histology--Lung: Can the stated histology from a biomarker/immunohistochemistry (IHC) report be used for coding histology? See Discussion. |
Example: Diagnosis is made on liver core biopsy path showing Metastatic carcinoma, poorly-differentiated, consistent with lung primary. Diagnosis Comment notes: Carcinoma cells are positive for CK7 and TTF-1, negative for CK20. Subsequent immunohistochemistry report for PD-L1 testing states Liver: Metastatic adenocarcinoma consistent with lung primary. Interpretation: no PD-L1 expression. IHC/Biomarker testing is often performed to determine treatment type, but it seems like some of the biomarkers for treatment planning are also histology specific. The Solid Tumor Rules do not address the use of biomarkers reports in the histology coding instructions. |
Code this case to adenocarcinoma 8140/3. Biomarkers are often reported separately, not as part of the addendum, and can be used to code histology. This applies to cases diagnosed by metastatic site only. |
2020 |
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20200009 | First course treatment/Surgery of Primary Site--Corpus uteri: Is an omentectomy performed with a hysterectomy for an endometrial primary site recorded under Surgery of Other Site? See Discussion. |
Per SEER 20140003, an omentectomy is not recorded under Surgery of Other Site when performed with a hysterectomy for an endometrial primary. Is this still correct? CoC appears to have different guidelines stating in a forum that an omentectomy is coded in data item Surgical Procedure to Other Site. I would like to confirm SEER guidelines. Is this one of those unique situations that SEER and STORE differ? Our state follows SEER guidelines and would like to communicate the appropriate rules to our facilities. |
Continue to record an omentectomy performed with a hysterectomy under Surgery of Primary Site and not as a separate procedure under Surgical Procedure of Other Site. The guidance In SINQ 2014003 and 20091118 is unchanged. |
2020 |
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20200085 | Solid Tumor Rules (2018)/Histology--Head and Neck: What is the histology of paraganglioma, NOS arising outside of the adrenal gland (for example, in the bladder) for cases diagnosed 1/1/2021 and later? See Discussion. |
Should histology be coded as paraganglioma, NOS (8680/3) or as extra-adrenal paraganglioma, NOS (8693/3) for a diagnosis of paraganglioma in the bladder? Does the pathologist have to specifically diagnose the tumor as extra-adrenal paraganglioma, NOS to use histology code 8693/3? Or, does any diagnosis of paraganglioma (NOS) arising outside of the adrenal gland, carotid body, middle ear, or aortic body (the specified sites for other types of paragangliomas) qualify as an extra-adrenal paraganglioma, NOS? The ICD-O-3.2 Implementation Guidelines (Tables 6 and 7) provide an associated site of C755 for histology 8680/3 (paraganglioma, NOS), but no associated site code is provided for histology 8693/3 (extra-adrenal paraganglioma, NOS). If the preferred site for paraganglioma, NOS is the paraganglia, would a paraganglioma in the bladder be an extra-adrenal paraganglioma? This question was prompted from preparing SEER*Educate coding exercises. We will use the answer as a reference in the rationales. |
Code the histology stated by the pathologist: paraganglioma, NOS 8680/3. |
2020 |
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20200017 | Histology--Head & Neck: Why is 8070 not listed as a valid histology for ill-defined sites as squamous cell carcinoma arises in the head and neck sites. See Discussion. |
Per the site validation list: https://seer.cancer.gov/icd-o-3/sitetype.icdo3.20190618.pdf#search=site%20validation, ill-defined sites (ILL-DEFINED C760-C768) does not include 8070- Squamous cell carcinoma as a valid histology. Therefore when a Cervical Lymph Node and Unknown Primary Tumor of the Head and Neck is submitted with a C760 and 8070/3, it requires an override be set. |
Histology code 8070 has been added to C760 on the site validation list. It will be updated for 2021. Continue to override this combination for now. |
2020 |
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20200010 | Solid Tumor Rules (2018)/Histology--Head & Neck: How is histology coded for a glossotonsillar sulcus tumor with both squamous cell carcinoma and mucoepidermoid carcinoma? See Discussion. |
Patient had a radical pharyngectomy showing a glossotonsillar sulcus tumor with high grade squamous cell carcinoma and adjacent high grade mucoepidermoid carcinoma. The pathologist commented, the tumor is composed of high grade mucoepidermoid carcinoma and high grade conventional-type squamous cell carcinoma that are immediately adjacent to one another. Given that the tumors are arising so close together and could represent a single neoplastic process with divergent morphologies, they are staged together. Employing Solid Tumor Manual Rule M1 (single primary if unable to determine if there is a single or multiple tumors), it was determined that this should be reported as a single tumor because the pathologist referred to the case as both a tumor singular and tumors pleural. However, the Solid Tumor Manual Histology Rules for a Single Tumor do not appear to have an instruction for coding this histology combination. |
Abstract multiple primaries using 2018 Head and Neck Solid Tumor Rule M8 as these are separate tumors described as arising close together, and are on different rows in Table 3. Code histology separately as squamous cell carcinoma (8070/3) and mucoepidermoid carcinoma (8430/3). This appears to be a collision tumor. Collision tumors are counted as two individual tumors for the purpose of determining multiple primaries. Collision tumors were originally two separate tumors that arose in close proximity. As the tumors increased in size, they merged or overlapped each other. While more common in the colon, they can occur in other sites as well. |
2020 |
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20200057 | Histology--Lung: Is there a better code for SMARCA4-deficient malignant neoplasms than 8000/3 that could be used especially given its aggressive nature? This term is not included in the Lung Solid Tumor Rules or ICD-O-3.1 and 3.2. See Discussion. |
Per Mayo consulting pathologist, the final diagnosis on this right lung biopsy is: SMARCA4-deficient malignant neoplasm (see Comment). Comment: Sections show a poorly-differentiated malignant neoplasm without any apparent glandular, squamous, or stromal differentiation. The tumor near totally replaces the underlying lung tissue without recognizable underlying alveolar parenchyma. Immunohistochemical stains performed at Mayo Clinic (Oscar keratin, INSM1, NUT, S100, desmin and BRG1 protein encoded by SMARCA4 gene) demonstrate that the malignant cells are positive for Oscar keratin (rare cells only), synaptophysin (weak/patchy) and p63 (focal) while negative for the remaining antibodies tested. Of note, SMARCA4 stain is negative in the tumor cells. Thus, this tumor can be categorized as a SMARCA4-deficient malignant neoplasm, which is known to be an aggressive malignancy, likely represent a SMARCA4-deficient thoracic sarcoma, a recently described entity. SMARCA4-deficient carcinomas in the lung have been reported to be mostly adenocarcinomas or squamous cell carcinomas, which would not fit for this case. Please refer to a paper published by our group (Sauter JL et al. Mod Pathol 2017;30:1422-32. |
Answer updated August 2025 Assign code 8044/3. WHO Classification of Thoracic Tumors, 5th edition, classifies SMARCA4-deficient malignant neoplasm as Thoracic SMARCA4-deficient undifferentiated tumor (SMARCA4-UT). |
2020 |
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20200055 | Solid Tumor Rules (2018)/Multiple primaries--Melanoma: Should a case with treatment delayed due to COVID-19 be abstracted as one or two primaries? It is uncertain if the invasive tumor would be a new tumor, or deeper extension/disease progression from the original tumor. See Discussion. |
11/18/2019 Left 1st Digit/Thumb Biopsy: Atypical Melanocytic Proliferation consistent with Early Acral Lentiginous Melanoma in situ. Margins Positive. (Not a reportable diagnosis for 2019.) 12/5/2019 Left 1st Digit Shave Biopsies: Malignant Melanoma in situ. Margins Positive. 1/15/2020 Started Aldara (treatment plan: use for ~3 months then Mohs/excision, but due to COVID could not get resection until 7/2020). 7/29/2020 Left Thumb Excision: Residual Melanoma in situ. Margins Positive. Treatment Plan: re-excision. 8/6/2020 Left Thumb Re-Excision: Atypical Lentiginous Melanocytic Proliferation at the 12-2 margin may represent the advancing edge of melanoma in situ. (8/19/2020 Plan to treat the 12-2 margin as positive with in situ; plan for re-excision). 8/20/2020 Left Thumb Re-Excision & Left Nail Plate Excision: Malignant Acral Lentiginous Melanoma with extensive melanoma in situ. Breslow 1.3mm. Margins Positive. Nail plate & bed epithelium with hemorrhage and a mild increase in melanocyte density likely represent melanoma in situ. 9/4/2020 Left thumb partial amputation & Left axillary Sentinel Lymph Node Excision: Residual Malignant Melanoma in situ. 0/3 sentinel nodes positive. |
Abstract a single primary using the Solid Tumor Rules for melanoma. Report this melanoma as invasive (/3) as documented in the information from 8/20/2020. The treatment delay does not influence the number of primaries to be reported. Registries in SEER regions: Report the COVID-related information as directed in the COVID-19 Abstraction Guidelines, https://seer.cancer.gov/tools/covid-19/. |
2020 |
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20200044 | Reportability/Histology--Eye: Is conjunctival intraepithelial neoplasia, moderate to severe, reportable and if so, what are the histology and behavior codes? See Discussion. |
Left Eye Conjunctiva, biopsy (01/23/2018): Conjunctival intraepithelial neoplasia moderate to severe. Is intraepithelial neoplasia moderate to severe the same as coding 8077/2? |
Report this case as 8077/2. Our expert pathologist consultant reviewed this and confirmed it is reportable. Here is some of his rationale. The pathologist's designation as "moderate to severe" indicates there are areas of 2/3 of full thickness epithelial change, so the criteria to report are met. |
2020 |
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