EOD-Lymph Nodes--Breast: Are micrometastases in the lymph nodes, found only on immunohistochemical staining, coded as positive lymph nodes?
For cases diagnosed 1998-2003: Do not code as positive lymph nodes that have micrometastases diagnosed ONLY on immunohistochemistry. By traditional diagnostic methods, these are still negative lymph nodes.
Summary Stage and EOD ignore the IHC positive micrometastases for cases diagnosed through 2003. The collaborative staging system that begins with 2004 cases and is based on the sixth edition of TNM addresses this issue.
Laterality--Head & Neck: Does the site code C098 need a laterality code? See Description.
In the SEER EOD-88 3rd edition, page 36, site code C098 does not need laterality. In the SEER Program code manual, 3rd edition, page 93, site code C098 is listed as a site that needs a laterality code 1-9.
Topography code C098 [Overlapping lesion of tonsil] requires a laterality code of 1-9. Follow the laterality guidelines in the SEER Program Code Manual.
Immunotherapy/Radiation Therapy: Is I-131 labeled immunoglobulin coded as immunotherapy or radiation therapy?
Code treatment with I-131 labeled immunoglobulin as radiotherapy. The primary action is radiotherapeutic. Radioimmunotherapy (RIT) uses antibodies to deliver the radiotherapy to the site of the tumor.
Radiation: How would this field be coded for treatment with quadramet [radioactive samarium]? See Description.
Paitent is receiving quadramet for treatment of lung metastases.
Code Quadramet in the RX Summ-Radiation field as 3 [Radioisotopes]. Quadramet is a radioisotope used to palliate bone pain. The instructions in the SEER manual state: "Record all radiation that is given, even if it is palliative."
Surgery of Primary Site--Head & Neck: Will you clarify the use of code 20 [local tumor excision, NOS] versus code 27 [excisional biopsy] when there is no clinical description of a tumor and the pathology report describes more than one specimen from surgery performed on the vocal cords? See discussion.
Specimen A is labeled vocal cord biopsy. Specimen B is labeled left true vocal cord nodule. For specimen B the gross portion of the pathology report describes a .5 cm tissue portion. Is the term "nodule" enough information to code this as an excision? Can we code site specific surgery to code 20 or 27?
Code 20 [local tumor excision, NOS] based on information from the size and description of the specimen.
EOD-Pathology Extension--Prostate: Is extracapsular extension implied by the phrase, "involvement of periurethral or urethral margins"? See Description.
The prostatectomy final pathology diagnosis states that the tumor involves the periurethral margin. The microscopic describes involvement of the urethral margin.
For cases diagnosed 1998-2003: Code the EOD-Extension field in the 20-34 range, which implies no extension beyond the prostate. Disregard involvement of periurethral margin or urethral margin, NOS, unless the pathologist or surgeon specifically mentions "extraprostatic urethra" involvement.
EOD-Extension--Thyroid: Is this field coded as involvement of the thyroid capsule if the thyroidectomy path specimen reveals papillary thyroid ca "tumor present within capsular blood vessels?"
For cases diagnosed 1998-2003: Tumor present within the blood vessels of the thyroid capsule is localized (extension code 30). The tumor has not penetrated the capsule itself if it is contained within the blood vessels.
Keep in mind that tumor size determines the extent of disease for thyroid extension codes 10, 20, 30 and 40.
Histology--Lymphoma: What code is used to represent the histology "monomorphic post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder [diffuse large B-cell lymphoma]"? See Description.
A 14 year old with a cadaver kidney transplant in 1994 for membranous glomerulonephritis presented in 6/26/03 with a right cervical LN with biopsy showing "lymph node involved by monomorphic post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (diffuse large B-cell lymphoma). Staging was done including a bone marrow which was negative, CSF negative. The oncologist on the case reduced the immunosuppression drugs with the final outcome being no sign of the lymphoma.
For cases diagnosed prior to 1/1/2010:Code 9680/36 [Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma]. This post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder was diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. According to the World Health Organization, there are two types of post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder. "Regular" post transplant lymphoproliferative disorder is not a neoplasm and is therefore not reportable to a cancer registry. The second type (sometimes called Hodgkin-like PTLD) is classified as a B-cell lymphoma, which means that it IS reportable.
For cases diagnosed 2010 forward, 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.
Reason for No Surgery of Primary Site: Does code 2 [Contraindicated due to other conditions; autopsy only case] or code 1 [ Cancer-directed surgery not recommended] have priority when coding this field for extensive tumors not surgically treated because of existing comorbidities? See discussion.
Example:
Patient has Stage IVA carcinoma of the tongue. The physician states that patient is not felt to be a good surgical candidate secondary to multiple medical frailties. Patient is treated with beam radiation.
In this case, how do we code Reason for No Site Specific Surgery? Do we use code 2 because surgery was contraindicated due to co-existing medical conditions or do we use code 1 because the tumor is very extensive and surgery would probably not be done anyway?
SEER has not established a priority for assigning the Reason for No Surgery of Primary Site codes. Assign the code which best describes the reason surgery was not performed.
Example: Assign code 2, Contraindicated due to patient risk factors. According to the physician, this is the reason that surgery was not performed.
Reason No Cancer-Directed Surgery--Hematopoietic, NOS: Is this field always coded to 1 [not performed, not part of first course] for leukemias & other hematopoietic diseases?
For cases diagnosed 2003 and later: For sites where "Surgery of the primary site" is coded 00 or 98 (hematopoietic included), Reason for No Surgery of Primary Site should be coded as 1 [Surgery of the primary site not performed because it was not part of the planned first course of treatment]. On rare occasions, there may be surgery to the primary site for a hematopoietic disease, such as an excisional biopsy of a myeloid sarcoma. Refer to the "Abstracting and Coding Guide for the Hematopoietic Diseases" for cell-type-specific treatment information.
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