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| Report | Question ID (Descending) | Question | Discussion | Answer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20000259 | 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. |
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| 20000258 | EOD-Extension--Lung: If a CT scan indicates that a patient has evidence of "long-standing pneumonia," is that considered synonymous with "pneumonitis" for the purposes of coding extension for lung primaries? | No. These terms are not synonymous. For cases diagnosed 1998-2003, disregard the pneumonia and use the other available information to code extension. | ||
| 20000256 | EOD-Size of Primary Tumor--Melanoma: How do you code tumor size for a melanoma diagnosed by a positive lymph node biopsy when the primary site is coded C44.9 because no primary site was identified? See discussion. | Should the size be 000 because no primary was found or 999 for unknown? | For cases diagnosed 1998-2003:
Code the EOD-Size of Primary Tumor field to 000 [No mass; no tumor found] when primary site is coded to C449. |
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| 20000249 | EOD-Lymph Nodes--Melanoma: Should we assume that positive lymph nodes are to be considered regional if the primary site for a melanoma is not identified (i.e., C44.9)? | For cases diagnosed 1998-2003: Code the EOD-Lymph Nodes field to 8 [Lymph Nodes, NOS]. | ||
| 20000248 | Date of Diagnosis: When doing follow-back at nursing homes on DCO cases, we find it difficult to code diagnosis date because the nursing home records are often vague or incomplete. Should the diagnosis date be coded as unknown (excluded from SEER database), the date of death, or the approximate date of diagnosis as reported on the death certificate? | If the nursing home record indicates that the patient had cancer, use the best approximation for date of diagnosis.
If the record says the patient had cancer when admitted, but it does not provide a date of diagnosis, use the date of admission as the date of diagnosis.
If there is no mention of cancer in the nursing home record and/or all work-up in the record is negative, assume the cancer was discovered at autopsy. Use the date of death as the date of diagnosis, and leave as a Death Certificate Only case. |
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| 20000247 | EOD-Pathologic Extension--Prostate: If there is residual tumor in the distal urethra on prostatectomy, does that mean there is distal urethral margin involvement? See discussion. | 2/98 Prostate bx: Right apex, right mid and right base positive for adenocarcinoma. 6/1/98 Radical retropubic prostatectomy w/ bilateral pelvic lymph node dissection. Pathology: Residual adenocarcinoma in distal urethra, right lateral sections and posterior lobe. Right apical margin, other margins, seminal vesicles, and 7 pelvic LN negative for malignancy. |
For cases diagnosed 1998-2003: For the example above, code the EOD-Pathologic Extension field to 34 [extending to apex] because most of the right side is involved. The pathology report says all margins are free. The comment on residual tumor in the urethra, meant the first surgery did not completely remove tumor tissue from the urethra, it does not mean that tissue is at the margin. |
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| 20000245 | Reportability/In situ: Are the terms "high grade dysplasia" and "severe dysplasia" synonymous with in situ? See discussion. | On page 116 of the AJCC Cancer Staging Manual, 6th edition it states, "The terms 'high grade dysplasia' or 'severe dysplasia' may be used as synonyms for in situ adenocarcinoma or in situ carcinoma. These cases should be assigned pTis." These terms are not on the synonym list in the SEER Program Code Manual. Does SEER consider these terms synonymous with in situ? | No. SEER does not consider these words synonymous with behavior code 2 [in situ]. | |
| 20000244 | Behavior Code--Bladder/Lymphoma: Should the "in situ" designation on a bladder primary's pathology report be ignored that states a diagnosis of "in situ lymphoma"? | Ignore the in situ designation. You cannot assign an in situ behavior code to a lymphoma primary. The term or designation of "in situ" is limited to solid tumors; carcinoma and/or cancer. | ||
| 20000243 | Surgery of Primary Site--Lung: What code is used to represent "photodynamic therapy" (PDT) for lung primaries? See Discussion. | PDT is not listed in the Surgery to Primary Site field codes for lung. | For cases diagnosed 2003 and later, code the Surgery of Primary Site field to 19 [Local destruction or excision, NOS] for lung primaries. Photodynamic therapy is a surgical procedure that results in the local destruction of tumor. | |
| 20000242 | EOD-Size of Primary Tumor--Prostate: Should the size of tumor be recorded as 001 (focus) or the actual size when both are stated? See Discussion. | The pathology report from a TURP identifies a 3-mm focus of adenocarcinoma. | For cases diagnosed 1998-2003, code the EOD-Size of Primary Tumor field to 003 [3 mm]. The rule that says to code a focus or foci of tumor as 001 was developed for use when no tumor size is given. |
