Report | Question ID | Question | Discussion | Answer | Year |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
20230070 | Solid Tumor Rules/Multiple Primaries--Breast: How many primaries should be accessioned for a diagnosis of invasive carcinoma of the left breast (8500/3) in 2020 followed by a 2023 diagnosis of dedifferentiated carcinoma in the left breast (8020/3)? See Discussion. |
The WHO Blue Books do not include dedifferentiated carcinoma as a valid histology for the breast. However, there is known to be progression of ductal carcinoma that is essentially dedifferentiation of an estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, and HER2 breast carcinoma to a triple negative "dedifferentiated" carcinoma which it appears this patient has. Whether we should accession this as a separate 8020/3 primary per M14 is unclear and the Solid Tumor Manual does not address this scenario. |
Abstract a single primary using Breast Solid Tumor Rules, Rule M18, as none of the previous rules apply. Undifferentiated carcinoma is a malignant epithelial tumour lacking overt evidence of a specific line of differentiation. Dedifferentiated carcinoma is composed of an undifferentiated carcinoma and a differentiated component. Dedifferentiated carcinoma (8020/3) as a morphology is associated with cancer of the endometrium and ovary rather than the breast. Breast cancer shows a broad spectrum of morphology with extensive variation in histological type and grade, related to the complexity of carcinogenesis. This includes initial genetic changes in the cell of origin, subsequent genetic and epigenetic alterations, and reprogramming that occur at various stages of development along with interaction of other factors that influence the process of differentiation. This scenario likely represents the process of phenotypic change of a carcinoma at a later stage, better known as transdifferentiation. |
2023 |
|
20230012 | Solid Tumor Rules/Multiple Primaries--Prostate: How many primaries are accessioned when a 06/2022 diagnosis of prostate adenocarcinoma is followed less than one year later by a 01/2023 diagnosis of small cell carcinoma (SmCC)? See Discussion. |
Rule M4 was added to the Other Sites M Rules to address diagnoses of small cell carcinoma following prostate adenocarcinoma, but Rule M4 states the diagnoses must be greater than one year apart. In this situation, the diagnoses were less than one year apart and one must continue through the M Rules. The next M Rule that applies Rule M19: “Abstract multiple primaries when separate/non-contiguous tumors are on multiple rows in Table 2-21 in the Equivalent Terms and Definitions. Timing is irrelevant.” If one were to STOP at the first rule that applies, one would stop at Rule M19 which confirms the prostatic adenocarcinoma and small cell carcinoma are separate primaries, regardless of timing. If these are not to be accessioned as multiple primaries, does an Exception need to be added to M19? |
Assuming the smal cell is a seperate tumor, accession two primaries, adenocarcinoma (8140/3) of the prostate and SmCC (8041/3) of the prostate using Rule M19 of the current Other Sites Solid Tumor Rules. As these two tumors are less than a year apart, Rule M4 does not apply; however, Rule 19 does apply as these are two distinct histology types. It takes time for an acinar tumor to transform into the small cell and it is usually triggered by hormone and/or radiation treatment. |
2023 |
|
20230027 | Solid Tumor Rules/Multiple Primaries--Peripheral Nerves: How many primaries should be abstracted, and which M Rule applies, when a malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor (MPNST) in the right arm (C471) is followed greater than one year later by a separate malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor of the thoracic chest wall (C473)? See Discussion. |
Since the peripheral nerves are included in the Malignant CNS schema of the Solid Tumor Rules, neither the differences in subsite nor timing indicate these are separate primaries (Rule M10 indicates a single primary). However, these are separate MPNSTs in different sites and the tumors are not stated to be metastasis. Additionally, these are treated as separate primaries by the managing physician. While the malignant CNS tumors do not take timing into account, is this correct for these peripheral nerve tumors that are often treated similarly to soft tissue tumors? Should Rule M8 be updated to include tumors in different peripheral nerve subsites? |
Abstract a single primary using Solid Tumor Rules, Malignant CNS and Peripheral Nerves, Rule M10 based on the information provided. Rule M10 applies as both non-contiguous tumors are of the same histology; i.e., on the same row in Table 3. As MPNST can arise in many sites, look for information about the precise location and tissue type in which the tumor arose. For example, if the tumors are stated to arise in soft tissue, follow the Multiple Primary Rules for Other Sites. Both WHO Classification of Central Nervous System Tumors and WHO Classification of Soft Tissue and Bone Tumors state that MPNST is a malignant spindle cell tumor often arising from a peripheral nerve, from a pre-existing benign nerve sheath tumor, or in a patient with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1). Future updates will move C470-C479 from CNS to other sites module. |
2023 |
|
20230073 | First Course Treatment/Surgery of Primary Site--Liver/Intrahepatic Bile Ducts: For a liver/intrahepatic bile duct primary, is an alcohol embolization the same thing as a percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI)? See Discussion. |
For C220-C221 primaries, Surgery of Primary Site includes code A150 for Alcohol tumor destruction (percutaneous ethanol injection/intratumoral injection of alcohol/alcohol ablation). The SEER and STORE manuals also indicate that alcohol embolization should be coded as Other Therapy, code 1. We are trying to determine whether alcohol embolization should be coded under Surgery of Primary Site or Other Therapy. |
Code alcohol ablation under Surgery of Primary Site 2023. Code alcohol embolization as Other Therapy when tumor embolization is performed using alcohol as the embolizing agent. Alcohol ablation, also known as an ultrasound-guided percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI); is treatment that involves injecting concentrated alcohol directly into the tumor. Embolization uses special techniques to close off blood flow by introducing special medications or using other techniques designed to block blood vessels. Types of embolization are arterial embolization as with alcohol (ethanol), chemoembolization, and radioembolization. Refer to the current SEER Program Coding and Staging Manual when assigning surgery and embolization procedures. |
2023 |
|
20230034 | Update to Current Manual/Surgery of Primary Site 2023--Melanoma: Considering the 2023 melanoma surgery codes for punch biopsy NOS (B220) and shave biopsy NOS (B230), how is Date of First Surgical Procedure coded when the punch or shave biopsy is not excisional? See Discussion. |
Now that there are specific surgery codes for shave and punch biopsies, are these biopsies always the Date of First Surgical Procedure (NAACCR Item #1200)? Or should we still be applying the Surgery of Primary Site 2023 instruction in the SEER Manual that states shave or punch biopsies are most often diagnostic; code as a surgical procedure only when the entire tumor is removed and margins are free/gross disease is removed? Example: On 01/01/2023, patient has a frontal scalp shave biopsy showing melanoma, margins involved. On 02/01/2023, frontal scalp excision shows residual melanoma. Surgery code is assigned B520 (shave followed by wide excision). How is Date of First Surgical Procedure coded now that there is an additional surgery code for the shave biopsy? |
Code the Date of First Surgical Procedure as 01/01/2023 in the example provided where the shave biopsy is followed by wide excision. Beginning in 2023, significant changes were made in that shave, punch, and elliptical biopsies are coded as surgical procedure regardless of margin status. Appendix C Skin Surgery Codes state that an incisional biopsy would be a needle or core biopsy of the primary tumor. Please see Appendix M: Case Studies for Coding Melanoma in STORE v23, Case study 2: Shave Biopsy followed by WLE (page 412), for an explicit example of how to code your example case. We will clarify this in the upcoming release of the SEER manual, |
2023 |
|
20230028 | Histology--Vulva: How is the histology coded for vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia III (VIN III)/Squamous cell carcinoma in situ from a pathology report of the vulva, 8070/2 for squamous cell carcinoma in situ or 8077/2 for VIN III? The rules do not discuss this particular situation. |
Assign 8077/2 for high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion, VIN 3 in this case. The WHO Classification of Female Genital Tumors, 5th edition, states that squamous intraepithelial lesions (SILs) of the vulva are also known as vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia, HPV-associated. The term squamous cell carcinoma in situ is not recommended. |
2023 | |
|
20230019 | Solid Tumor Rules/Multiple Primaries--Pancreas: How many primaries, and what M Rule applies, when a pancreatectomy identified an invasive adenocarcinoma in one pancreatic head tumor, but multiple separate pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PanNETs), WHO grade 1, in the pancreatic body? See Discussion. |
There was a 3.5 cm invasive adenocarcinoma tumor in the pancreatic head. There were four separate, sized pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors measuring 0.9, 0.7, 0.5 and 0.2 cm in the pancreatic body. There are multiple tumors with distinctly different histologies. However, Table 11 (Pancreas Histologies) does not include any entries for neuroendocrine tumors of the pancreas (e.g., pancreatic NET, WHO grade 1, histology 8240). While it would seem Rule M19 should apply as they’re distinctly different histologies, because PanNETs are not included in Table 11, it is not clear which M Rule applies to these multiple tumors. If Rule M19 does not apply, we are left with Rule M21 (Abstract a single primary when there are multiple tumors that do not meet any of the above criteria). Are these separate tumors with distinctly different histologies really a single primary? Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors are not an uncommon histology, is there a reason these were not included in Table 11? |
Abstract two primaries using the 2023 Solid Tumor Rules, Other Sites, Rule M19, as adenocarcinoma and pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors are two distinct histologies. The WHO Classification of Digestive Tumors, 5th ed., Chapter 10-Tumors of the Pancreas, lists both epithelial tumors and neuroendocrine neoplasm as separate entities. The Solid Tumor Rules histology-specific tables contain histologies that commonly occur in the 19 site-specific histology tables; therefore, not all histologies are listed in the rules. Further, the adenocarcinoma would be staged in the Pancreas Schema, while the neuroendocrine tumor would be staged in the NET Pancreas schema. We will consider adding PanNETs to Table 11 in a future release of the Solid Tumor Rules. |
2023 |
|
20230039 | Histology/Hematopoietic and Lymphoid Neoplasms--AML: What is the histology code for Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML) with monocytic differentiation, 9891/3: acute monoblastic and monocytic leukemia or 9867/3: Acute myelomonocytic leukemia? |
Code AML with monocytic differentiation as acute myeloid leukemia, NOS (9861/3) per consultation with our expert hematopathologist. Acute monoblastic and monocytic leukemia (9891/3) and acute myelomonocytic leukemia (9867/3) are distinct entities according to the WHO. "AML with monocytic differentiation" is a descriptive diagnosis, whereas, "Acute monoblastic and monocytic leukemia" are specific diagnoses. In the WHO Classification of Tumours, Central nervous system tumours (4th Ed) in 2016, WHO began integrating information on molecular alterations that provide significant prognostic implications and/or a therapeutic target into the histology code/term itself. As a result it is also important to look at the molecular testing because acute myeloid leukemias can have different molecular mutations that could result in coding to a different histology code. In this case, there was no other information regarding additional immunophenotyping, so that is why AML, NOS was assigned. Acute myeloid leukemia with monocytic differentiation has been added to the Hematopoietic and Lymphoid Neoplasm Database as an alternate name for 9861/3. |
2023 | |
|
20230036 | Reportability/Histology--Vulva: Is angiomyxoma (8841/1), such as aggressive angiomyxoma of vulva diagnosed in 2022, reportable? |
Do not report superficial angiomyxoma (8841/0) or aggressive angiomyxoma (8841/0). WHO Classification of Female Genital Tumors, 5th edition, defines deep (aggressive) angiomyoma as a benign, infiltrative, myxoid spindle cell neoplasm that occurs in deep soft tissue of the pelviperineal region. |
2023 | |
|
20230024 | SEER Manual/Reportability--Brain and CNS: Is microadenoma reportable? A pituitary mass seen on imaging was "consistent with Microadenoma" on 11/15/2022. There was no histologic confirmation or treatment given. |
Pituitary microadenoma is reportable. Assign 8272/0. "Micro" refers to size of the adenoma. Per the SEER Program Coding and Staging Manual 2022, a reportable intracranial or CNS neoplasm identified only by diagnostic imaging is reportable, and "consistent with" is listed on the Ambiguous Terms to be used for Reportability list. As a result, this case is reportable. |
2023 |