Report | Question ID | Question | Discussion | Answer | Year |
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20041025 | Immunotherapy/Chemotherapy: Are monoclonal antibodies, such as Avastin and Erbitux, coded as immunotherapy or chemotherapy? See Discussion. | In review of the "FDA-approved oncology agents not listed in SEER Book 8" provided in 5/02, it appears "monoclonal antibodies" are coded as immunotherapy. | Code Avastin and Erbitux as chemotherapy because both of these drugs are growth inhibitors. Code growth inhibitors (cytostatic agents) as chemotherapy. Do not assume that monoclonal antibodies are coded as immunotherapy. | 2004 |
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20041037 | Multiple Primaries (Pre-2007)/Histology (Pre-2007)/Grade, Differentiation--Thyroid: How many primaries, with what histologies should be coded when a thyroidectomy reveals "anaplastic carcinoma" and "papillary carcinoma" occurring as two separate tumors? See Discussion. | Example: Thyroidectomy revealed anaplastic carcinoma of the thyroid with mets to lymph nodes. The path report stated that the thyroid specimen also contained a small papillary carcinoma. Differentiation for the papillary carcinoma was not stated. | For tumors diagnosed prior to 2007:
Accession and code as two thyroid primaries: Anaplastic carcinoma [8021/34] Papillary carcinoma [8260/39]
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 |
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20041077 | CS Site Specific Factor 1--Colon: If the registrar did not support the CEA code recorded with the appropriate text documentation, should the central registry accept the registrars coding or change the value to 999? | 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.Accept your registrars' codes at your discretion. It is encouraged, but not required, to enter text for CS data elements. These cases do not automatically default to code 999. |
2004 | |
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20041072 | Histology (Pre-2007)--Colon: Must a case be specifically labeled "familial adenomatous polyposis" or is the mere presence of numerous/multiple polyps sufficient for coding the histology to FAP? | For tumors diagnosed prior to 2007:
The presence of numerous/multiple polyps is not necessarily adenomatous polyposis coli. Adenomatous polyposis is an extreme condition usually characterized by the presence of hundreds of polyps and should be identified as such either clinically or pathologically. Look for the term "Familial adenomatous polyposis," FAP or one of its synonyms: Adenomatosis of the colon and rectum [ACR] Familial adenomatous colon polyposis Familial colonic polyposis Multiple familial polyposis In the absence of these terms, the following probably indicate a diagnosis of FAP: Hundreds of adenomatous polyps throughout large intestines, and at times, throughout the digestive system Development of polyps as early as ten years of age, but more commonly at puberty History of colectomy
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 | |
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20041017 | EOD-Lymph Nodes--Breast: When isolated tumor cells are found in an axillary lymph node, should lymph node involvement be coded to 0 [no lymph node involvement] or 1 [micrometastasis (less than or equal to 0.2 cm)]? | For cases diagnosed prior to 2004: Code the EOD-Lymph Node field to 0 [No lymph node involvement] when regional lymph nodes are negative, even if there are positive isolated tumor cells (ITC). | 2004 | |
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20041065 | Date Therapy Initiated/First-Course of Cancer-Directed Therapy Fields/Summary Stage 2000--Prostate: How do you code these fields for a case that received preventative chemo before a definitive cancer diagnosis? | A patient has a "suspicious but not diagnostic" biopsy of the prostate in 09/2002. Doctor said it was not cancer and put the patient on a preventative chemo drug study (GTX-211). The patient returned for a repeat biopsy on 04/2003. Biopsy returned positive for adenocarcinoma. The patient had not been diagnosed when chemo was administered. Can the case be staged using the post-chemo information? | Stage this case the same as all other cases. Use only the information subsequent to the date of diagnosis to code stage and treatment.
The diagnosis date in the example is 04/2003. Do not use information prior to 04/2003 to code stage or treatment. Do not code the preventative chemo as treatment. |
2004 |
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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 |
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20041074 | Histology (Pre-2007)--Colon: Is the histology coded as adenocarcinoma arising in a polyp when the final diagnosis on the pathology report is adenocarcinoma but the colonoscopy report associated with the path states that the surgeon performed a polypectomy? See Discussion. | Histology: 3/04 Colonoscopy with polypectomy of a sessile appearing polyp. Path report: Final Dx: Adenocarcinoma; Micro: Adenocarcinoma apparently arising from the mucosa...noted to invade the muscularis mucosa into the submucosa. | For tumors diagnosed prior to 2007
Code this case to adenocarcinoma [8140]. The best source for histology is the final diagnosis on the path report from the procedure that removed the most tumor tissue. When there is a conflict, the path diagnosis has higher priority than the colonoscopy diagnosis for coding 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 |
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20041086 | Histology (Pre-2007)/CS Tumor Size/CS Extension--Colon: How are these fields coded if a 3 cm sessile polyp is snared and removed piecemeal during a colonoscopy and the path microscopic description indicates a polypoid lesion with foci of malignant transformation found associated with bundles of smooth muscles followed by a LAR with no residual invasive tumor but the final path diagnosis is stated to be a M.D. adenocarcinoma? See Discussion. | 3/04 colonoscopy 3cm sessile polyp snared & removed piecemeal. Path Micro: Polypoid lesion consists of branching & complex neoplastic glands lined by tall columnar epithelial...These foci of malignant transformation are assoicated with large polygonal epithelial...associated with desmoplastic stromal reaction & neoplastic glands can be found associated with bundles of smooth muscle. 4/04 LAR: focus of residual HG dysplasia: no residual invasive tumor. Final path dx: MD adenocarcinoma. Physician staged: T2 N0 M0. Histology: 8140 vs 8210 Tumor Size: 030 vs 999 vs 990 Extension: 12 vs 20 |
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. For tumors diagnosed prior to 2007:
Based only on information provided: Histology: 8210 [Adenocarcinoma in a polyp] Tumor Size: 999 [Unknown] CS Extension: 20 [Muscularis propria invaded]
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 |
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20041099 | First Course Treatment: If a patient makes a blanket refusal of all recommended therapy or refuses all treatment before any therapy was recommended, are only immunotherapy and hematologic/endocrine therapies to be coded as refused (code 87)? Or should all treatment modalities be coded as refused if a patient makes a blanket refusal? Or should none of the treatment modalities be coded as refused because we do not know what would have been recommended? See Discussion. | Coding instructions for immunotherapy and for hematologic/endocrine procedures state that Code 87 is to be assigned if either of the following circumstances apply: 1) If the patient made a blanket refusal of all recommended treatment. 2) If the patient refused all treatment before any was recommended. These instructions are not included for other treatment modalities. | When the patient refuses treatment, the first course of therapy is no treatment. Code all treatments as refused. | 2004 |