Histology (Pre-2007): What code is used to represent the histology for a "malignant invasive gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST)"?
For tumors diagnosed 2001-2006: Malignant GIST is coded 8936/3.
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.
Other Therapy: What code is used to represent "gene" therapy? See discussion.
The following form of gene therapy has been described as treatment for malignant brain tumors.
Patients undergo surgery to remove as much of the tumor as possible. After surgery, the patients are infused with a virus that has been genetically altered so that it is not infectious and so that it contains a gene from the herpes simplex virus. The herpes gene is sensitive to a drug called ganciclovir. Once inside the brain, the genetically altered virus infects any remaining tumor cells. When this occurs, the herpes gene is established inside the cancer cells. After the virus infects the cancer cells, the patients are given ganciclovir. This drug would kill both the virus and the brain tumor cells.
Code the Other Cancer-Directed Therapy field to 2 [Other experimental cancer-directed therapy (not included elsewhere)].
Date of Diagnosis--All Sites: Is it better to estimate the month in the date of diagnosis field using the re-excision pathology report date or code the month to unknown if the only available information is the re-excision date? See discussion.
The only available information is the following pathology report:
On 7/18/00 a wide excision of the primary lesion is done. The report reads, "Lesion approximately 1 cm. Residual superficial spreading malignant melanoma with deepest penetration 4 mm."
Code the Date of Diagnosis field to 07/2000 for this case. Estimate the month of diagnosis whenever possible.
Given the usual delay between the initial excision of the lesion and a wide excision for a melanoma, estimate the month of diagnosis as July.
Primary Site: What site code is used to classify a femur biopsy with pathologic diagnosis of "Ewing sarcoma/primitive neuroectodermal tumor (PNET)"? See discussion.
ICD-O-3 lists PNET as being site specific to C71._. The pathology report states "some authors consider both Ewing sarcoma and PNET to be the same histologic entity given that they share the same translocation between chromosomes 11 and 23."
Code the Primary Site field to C40.2 [femur] based on Rule H in the ICD-O-3 that states, "Use the topography code provided when a topographic site is not listed in the diagnosis. This topography code should be disregarded if the tumor is known to arise at another site."
EOD-Extension: General instructions, page 7, note 3 states: " Extent of disease information obtained after treatment with neoadjuvant chemotherapy, hormone or immunotherapy has begun may be included." Because the SEER manual does not mention radiation treatment, can we use information from a lobectomy to code EOD if a patient has neoadjuvant radiation therapy?
Radiation therapy was inadvertently omitted from the list. Please see SINQ 20031012 answer as to when the surgical information can be used to stage the case.
EOD-Pathologic Extension--Prostate: Can a pathological extension code be assigned when a retropubic prostatectomy is done? See discussion.
The TNM manual states, "Total prostatoseminalvesiculectomy and pelvic lymph node dissection are required for pathologic staging."
For cases diagnosed 1998-2003:
The pathology report from a retropubic prostatectomy should be used to code the Pathologic Extension field. This field is coded using pathology report information from the prostatectomy operation regardless of the surgical approach and regardless of whether or not a pelvic lymph node dissection was performed. This is one area in which TNM rules for pathologic staging and SEER rules for EOD are slightly different.
Multiple Primaries (Pre-2007)--Ovary/Endometrium: Is endometrioid adenocarcinoma occuring simultaneously in the left ovary and the endometrium one primary or two? See discussion.
Pathology Final Diagnosis:
Left Ovary: Moderately differentiated endometrioid adenocarcinoma squamous differentiation grade 2 (scale of 3)
Uterus: Moderately differentiated endometrioid adenocarcinoma with squamous differentiation, grade II (scale of III). Focal, very superficial invasion to inner third myometrium with extension to lower uterine segment. Endocervix, cervix, right ovary and fallopian tubes negative for tumor.
For tumors diagnosed prior to 2007:
Code the case you describe as two primaries. The endometrioid adenocarcinoma can arise in the endometrium without a concomitant ovarian 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.
Histology (Pre-2007)--Colon: What code is used to represent the histology "adenocarcinoma arising in a papillary adenomatous polyp"? See discussion.
Is "adenocarcinoma arising in a papillary adenomatous polyp" equivalent to adenocarcinoma in a villous adenoma [8261/3] or adenocarcinoma in an adenomatous polyp [8210/3]?
For tumors diagnosed prior to 2007:
Code the Histology field to 8261/3 [adenocarcinoma in a villous adenoma]. In describing colon polyps, papillary and villous are equivalent terms.
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.
EOD-Lymph Nodes/TNM--Breast: Do we code these lymph nodes fields for a breast primary that describes ipsilateral axillary lymph node involvement as "extending through the lymph node capsule and into perinodal soft tissue/fat" as "fixed/matted"?
For cases diagnosed 1998-2003:
Code the EOD-Lymph Nodes field to 6 [Axillary regional lymph nodes, NOS], if the size of the metastasis within the lymph node is not known. "Extension into perinodal soft tissue" does not imply that the lymph nodes are fixed to one another or to other structures. AJCC stage for lymph nodes is coded to N1 [Metastasis to moveable ipsilateral axillary lymph nodes].
In order to code the EOD-Lymph Nodes field to 5 [Fixed/matted ipsilateral axillary nodes] which is the equivalent to AJCC equivalent N2, there must be some clinical or pathologic statement of fixation or matting. There can be extension through the capsule without fixation or matting. "Fixation" is a clinical term and "matting" can be either clinical or pathologic. A pathologist can recognize two or more lymph nodes stuck together by tumor.