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Report Produced: 11/07/2025 01:28 AM

Report Question ID Question Discussion Answer Year
20031042 Histology (Pre-2007): How are the following four histologies coded: 1) Adenocarcinoma with focal mucinous adenocarcinoma; 2) Adenocarcinoma with focal areas of bronchioalveolar adenocarcinoma, 3) Mixed infiltrating duct and focal medullary carcinoma, and 4) Mixed infiltrating duct and focal medullary carcinoma? See Description.

1. How do we code colon: Adenocarcinoma with focal Mucinous adenoca? 8140/3 or 8255/3?

2. A lung lesion with predominant adenoca with focal areas of bronchioalveolar adenoca? 8140/3 or 8255/3?

3. Mixed infiltrating duct carcinoma and medullary ca? 8510/3 or 8255/3?

4. Mixed infil duct ca and focal medulary ca? 8510/3 or 8255/3?

For tumors diagnosed prior to 2007:

1. 8140/3, Adenocarcinoma. Mucinous has a specific rule (see sinq 20010075): Include the mucinous component only if it is 50% or more of the tumor. "Focal" is not a majority term.

2. 8250/3, Bronchiolo-alveolar adenoca. Code the more specific histology.

3. 8523/3, Infiltrating duct mixed with other types of carcinoma. Combination of infiltrating duct and another type of carcinoma.

4. 8523/3, Infiltrating duct mixed with other types of carcinoma. Combination of infiltrating duct and another type of carcinoma.

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.

 2003
20031113 Primary site/Surgery of Primary Site/Surgical Procedure of Other Site--Unknown & ill-defined site: How are these fields coded for this type of primary site when a tumor excision and lymph node dissection is performed? See Description. Patient had a left parotidectomy w/ neck dissection in 02/2003. Findings showed a 10x5cm neck mass over the angle of the mandible as well as a 1.5 cm level 4 mass. Path showed invasive mod diff squamous cell ca. with posterior soft tissue margin positive for tumor; small portion of salivary gland had no tumor. Metastatic SCCa in 5 of 34 lymph nodes of neck dissection; no tumor in parotid lymph nodes. Pathology report says this could be a parotid carcinoma because the bulk of the disease is in the parotid, but it could also be metastatic...correlate with clinical findings. Doctor calls this unknown primary of the head and neck. Is this C80.9 or C76.0?

For cases diagnosed 1998-2003: The data item "Surgery of Primary Site" is intended to record only surgeries of the primary site. If the primary site is unknown or ill-defined, it is impossible to determine whether or not a particular surgery was performed on the primary site. "Surgical Procedure of Other Site" collects much less specific information; however, this is the correct data item to record surgery performed when the primary site is unknown or ill-defined.

For the case example, code the primary site as C76.0 [Head, face or neck, NOS]. Code Surgery of Primary Site as 98 [All unknown and ill-defined disease sites, with or without surgical treatment]. Code Surgical Procedure of Other Site as 1 [Non-primary surgical procedure performed].

 2003
20031045 Other Therapy: How do we classify "thalidomide" when it is given as cancer directed therapy?

Code to the appropriate code (1, 2 or 3) under Other Therapy, depending on whether the drug was given as part of a clinical trial. If not part of a clinical trial, assign code 1 [Other cancer-directed therapy].

Thalidomide is not FDA approved for treating cancer. It is under investigation for anti-angiogenesis effects in different cancers.

 2003
20031185 Primary Site: How is this field coded for a mass involving the gastroesophageal junction and lower third of the esophagus? See Description. We have an EGD report describing an ulcerated and infiltrative circumferential non-bleeding 10 cm. mass of malignant appearance found at the gastro-esophageal junction and lower third of the esophagus. The mass caused a partial obstruction. Biopsies were taken from the the gastroesophageal junction and lower third of esophagus. Pathologic diagnosis: Adenocarcinoma. Would this be coded C26.8? Search for a statement indicating the site of origin. If the site of origin cannot be determined, and there is evidence of Barrett's esophagus, code the topography in the example above to C15.5 [Lower third of esophagus]. If there is no evidence of Barrett's esophagus, assign code C16.0 [Gastroesophageal junction]. Either C15.5 or C16.0 would be preferable to C26.8, which is very non-specific and includes GI tract, pancreas and biliary tract. 2003
20041009 Diagnostic Confirmation--Lymphoma: Can lymphoma be diagnosed clinically? See Description.

Example 1: Patient with B symptoms. Physical exam reveals large neck mass. Physician impression is lymphoma.

Example 2: CT scans show lymphadenopathy consistent with lymphoma.

In both cases, patient does not return for biopsies.

Yes, lymphoma can be accessioned based on a clinical diagnosis.

Code Diagnostic Confirmation in Example 1 as 8 [Clinical diagnosis only].

Code Diagnostic Confirmation in Example 2 as 7 [Radiography and other imaging techniques without microscopic confirmation].

 2004
20041055 Primary Site/Grade, Differentiation, Cell indicator--Lymphoma: Will a Grade, Differentiation code of 6 [B-cell] for a lymphoma coded to primary site C80.9 [unknown] fail edits? See Discussion. Patient had a large mass in chest wall that was excised and found to be large B cell lymphoma. Scans mentioned no involvement of lymph nodes but indicated nodules in the liver thought to be lymphoma as well.

For cases diagnosed prior to 1/1/2010:The combination of a primary site C809 with a Grade, Differentiation code of 6 when used for a lymphoma will not fail SEER edits. Avoid coding primary site to C809 when possible. Code primary site for the example above to C761 [Chest wall, NOS]. The chest wall is the only area of involvement, except for "liver nodules." Liver is an unlikely primary site for lymphoma.

For cases diagnosed 2010 forward, refer to the Hematopoietic and Lymphoid Neoplasm Case Reportability and Coding Manual and the Hematopoietic Database (Hematopoietic DB) provided by SEER on its website to research your question. If those resources do not adequately address your issue, submit a new question to SINQ.

 2004
20041062 Histology (Pre-2007): Can we ever code this field using a more specific cell type from a metastatic site specimen rather than to a less specific cell type from the primary site specimen? See Discussion. The histology for a metastatic deposit biopsy is mucin-producing adenocarcinoma. This report states that the primary site is the stomach. It is more specific than the histology from the stomach biopsy described as adenocarcinoma, NOS.

For tumors diagnosed prior to 2007:

Code the histology for the case example to 8481/3 [mucin-producing adenocarcinoma], the more specific histology.

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.

 2004
20041088 CS Extension/EOD Extension--Renal Pelvis: Primary site is renal pelvis with direct extension to the rt adrenal gland. What is the correct extension code?

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.

Assign CS Extension code 67 [Adrenal gland from renal pelvis] for adrenal extension from renal pelvis -- T4 and regional direct extension.

 2004
20041021 Histology (Pre-2007)--Corpus Uteri: How should this field be coded when the D&C which shows "adenocarcinoma with mucinous and papillary features" and the TAH demonstrates only "endometroid carcinoma"? See Discussion. Should Histology be coded to 8380 [endometroid adenocarcinoma] because it is the most representative sample or to 8323 [mixed cell adenocarcinoma], per the Complex Morphology Coding Guidelines? The instructions in the Guidelines seem to imply that it is most important to represent combination histologies first, with majority (most representative sample) of tumor having a lower priority.

For tumors diagnosed prior to 2007:

Code Histology based on the pathology report from the most representative tissue. For the example above, code Histology to 8380 [Endometroid adenocarcinoma] based on the TAH/BSO pathology report.

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.

 2004
20041079 CS Mets at Dx/CS Mets Eval--Colon: Would the metastasis field be coded to 00 [No; none] and the evaluation field be coded to 1 [No path exam of metastatic tissue performed.] when the source of information is from the operative findings for the following 6 different cases? 1) Liver normal; 2) No evidence of metastatic disease; mesentery normal, 3) Small ascites; no liver metastasis, mass adherent to duodenum without obvious invasion, 4) No mets or local invasion, 5) No evidence of carcinomatosis, peritoneal studding or malignant effusion and 6) Tumor adherent to lateral sidewall (path negative); no evidence of metastatic implants.

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.

The CS Mets Eval code refers to the method used to evaluate the site farthest from the primary site. The correct code may not be the highest eval code. For example 1 above, if the liver is the site farthest from the colon primary that was evaluated for distant mets, code the CS Mets Eval code to the method used to evaluate liver. Code surgical evaluation as 1.

Assuming this is all of the information about possible distant metastatic sites for the examples above, code CS Mets at DX as 00, and CS Mets Eval as 1 for each.

Please note: imaging of farther sites should also be included when CS Mets at DX is coded. For example, if there was also a negative chest X-ray, the CS Mets at DX field would be 00 but the CS Mets Eval field would be 0 because the CXR documents that there are no mets beyond the immediate area of the tumor.

 2004