Multiplicity Counter--Ill-defined sites: How is this field coded for Ill-Defined sites (C760-C768)?
Code the number of tumors present if known. If the number of tumors present is not known, code 99 [unknown number of tumors, unknown if multiple tumors].
Surgery of Primary Site--Melanoma: Which surgery codes should be used for cases that have a 1 cm margin? See Discussion.
For a melanoma case the surgery codes in the 30's are to be used when margins are stated to be less than 1 cm. The codes in the 40's are to be used for cases where the margins are greater than 1 cm.
If the margin is exactly 1 cm, assign a surgery code from the 20-36 range. Use a code in the 40's only when the margin is greater than 1 cm.
First course treatment--Prostate: If a patient has a prostatectomy and the margins are positive, then several months later radiation is given because the PSA levels never decreased or have risen, is the radiation coded as first course of treatment or subsequent treatment?
Record the radiation as first course of treatment even though it was delayed for several months.
Radiation is highly effective when there is a small or microscopic amount of tissue left at the margin following prostatectomy. In most regions, radiation therapy is the standard of care for positive margins at prostatectomy.
Reportability--Brain: Is angiocentric glioma, WHO grade 1 of the right frontal lobe reportable? If so, how is histology to be coded?
Angiocentric glioma is reportable. The best histology code currently available is 9380/1 [glioma, NOS; uncertain behavior].
According to the WHO Classification of Central Nervous System Tumours, Angiocentric glioma has a behavior of /1. WHO defines it as an epilepsy-associated stable or slowly growing cerebral tumour primarily affecting children and young adults; histopathologicaly characterized by an angiocentric pattern of growth, monomorphous bipolar cells and features of ependymal differentiation.
Primary Site/Surgery of Other Site--Leukemia: If hairy cell leukemia is diagnosed at splenectomy, and 1 month later a bone marrow confirms the same diagnosis, is the primary site coded to spleen or bone marrow? If the site is bone marrow, is the splenectomy coded to 2 (regional) or 4 (distant) in the surgery field?
For cases diagnosed prior to 1/1/2010:Primary site:
Code the primary site to C421 [bone marrow] per primary site coding instructions for leukemia in the 2007 SEER manual, page 70.
Surgery of other site:
Since all surgical procedures for hematopoietic diseases are coded in the data item Surgery of Other Site, assign code 1 [Nonprimary surgical procedure performed].
For cases diagnosed 1/1/10 and later, 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.
Primary site/Surgery of Primary Site--Lymphoma: What is the primary site for lymphoma involving lymph nodes and tonsil? Is a tonsillectomy coded as surgery for lymphoma? See Discussion.
6/1/2008 cervical lymph node biopsy showed lymphoma. A 6/3/2008 CT Chest/abdomen showed mediastinal and mesenteric lymphadenopathy. A 6/15/2008 tonsillectomy is performed for markedly enlarged right tonsil. Tonsil pathology reveals extensive lymphoma involvement.
Nothing in the chart specifies the primary site.
Should this be a C778 primary because of 3 lymph node areas plus tonsil (a lymphatic organ)? Or should it be coded to C099 Tonsil?
Is this tonsillectomy coded as surgical therapy? If so, is it surgery of primary site or surgery of other site?
For cases diagnosed prior to 1/1/2010:Code the primary site to tonsil (C099). This advanced stage lymphoma involves an extranodal site (tonsil) and that site's regional lymph nodes (cervical). The lymphoma has also spread to non-regional lymph nodes (mediastinal and mesenteric). Code the tonsillectomy as surgery of primary site.
For cases diagnosed 1/1/10 and later, 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.
Histology--Pancreas: What is the correct code for "non-secretory pancreatic endocrine tumor" with positive lymph nodes on excision indicating a malignant tumor? Pathologist indicated it was not an exocrine tumor.
Code as islet cell carcinoma [8150/3].
There are several cell types in the islets, and each produces a different hormone. The custom has been to name the tumors by their hormone production e.g. insulinoma, glucagonoma, etc. Occasional tumors do not produce any hormone (at least one that can be determined or measured). These tumors are called non-functioning endocrine tumors. Most of the endocrine tumors in the pancreas are islet cell tumors.
MP/H Rules--Colon: What histology would you assign to a single tumor with the histology 'well differentiated mucinous cystadenocarcinoma in a villous adenoma confined to the appendix'? Does rule H4 apply to this diagnosis or should we continue on in the rules to H14 and code the higher histology?
For cases diagnosed 2007 or later, use rule H4.
Stop at the first rule that applies to the case. Rule H4 is the first rule that applies.
The polyp rule, H4, comes before many of the other colon rules because it is important to know that the malignancy originated in a polyp.
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