This field specifies information on surgery during first course of therapy whether it was cancer-directed or not. (Prior to 1988 SEER did not collect information on surgical procedures if not cancer-directed.) The Reason for No Cancer-directed Surgery field must be used to distinguish among no cancer-directed surgery performed; cancer-directed surgery recommended, unknown if performed; and unknown if cancer-directed surgery performed.

For Cases Diagnosed 1973-82

All cases were coded using the following nonspecific scheme:

No Cancer-Directed Surgery/Unknown1

Code Description
00 No surgical procedure
09 Unknown if surgery done

Type of Cancer-Directed Surgery

Code Description
90 Surgery, NOS

1 Code '09' must be used in conjunction with Reason for No Cancer-directed Surgery to distinguish "No cancer directed surgery" from "Unknown if cancer-directed surgery performed" and "Cancer-directed surgery recommended but unknown if given."  Code ‘00’ is only used for cases diagnosed only at autopsy.

For Cases Diagnosed 1983-87

Detailed schemes were in place for the following sites:

ICD-O Codes Primary Site
C16.0-C16.9 Stomach
C18.0-C18.9 Colon
C19.9, C20.9 Rectosigmoid, Rectum
C34.0-C34.9 Bronchus and Lung
C44.0-C44.9 Skin (melanomas only)
C50.0-C50.9 Breast
C53.0-C53.9 Cervix Uteri
C54.0-C54.9 Corpus Uteri
C56.9 Ovary
C61.9 Prostate
C67.0-C67.9 Bladder
C64.9, C65.9, C66.9 Kidney, Renal Pelvis, Ureter

All other sites are coded to the same nonspecific scheme used for 1973-82 cases (above).

For Cases Diagnosed 1988-1997

In addition to the above sites, detailed schemes for the following sites were put into place:

ICD-O Codes Primary Site
C00.0-C14.8 Oral Cavity
C25.0-C25.9 Pancreas
C32.0-C32.9 Larynx
C42.2 Spleen
C41.0-C41.9 Connective tissue
C47.0-C47.9,C49.0-C49.9 Bone
C62.0-C62.9 Testis
C73.9 Thyroid
C77.0-C77.9 Lymph nodes

A general scheme was used for all other sites.

The actual coding schemes for individual sites and time periods can be viewed at 2-Digit Site-Specific Surgery Codes (1983-1997) (PDF)