Can you review cancer codes in icd-9?

[Nevergiveup]

I have a hard time picking which one to use: benign, maglinant or not specified.

Thanks
Anna

 

[Ruth Sheets]

This was covered in the December 2012 Q&A Webinar. You can view the replay atwww.cco.us and click on Q and A Webinar Replay link. This is a replay club so you get access to all the past replays as well as future ones.

Here are some of the highlights of this topic from the webinar:

Basics in Cancer Coding​

Metastatic means moved. The cancer has moved from one place to another. Example: Breast cancer has metastasized to the lung. The cancer started in the breast and now is in the lung.

• Common metastatic sites are: lymph nodes, bone, lungs, brain

If a person has metastatic cancer both sites need to be coded. When there is documentation for a primary or secondary cancer but the site is not indicated you use:


199.1 - Malignant neoplasm without specification of site; other
Cancer unspecified site (primary) (secondary)
Carcinoma unspecified site (primary) (secondary)
Malignancy unspecified site (primary) (secondary)

Plain English Description
Use this code for malignant neoplasms of an unspecified site, both primary and secondary. #

Benign The term "benign" refers to a condition, tumor, or growth that is NOT cancerous. This means that it does not spread to other parts of the body and it does not change or destroy nearby tissue.
Unspecified This is a term used to indicate that the condition of the tumor has not been determined yet.
Once a person has been diagnosed with cancer they go through a staging which is most commonly known as TNM stagingTumor (T), Lymph nodes (N), Metastasis (M)











More information is available for CCO Club members in the Answer Sheets for the December 2012 Webinar in the CCO Club area.

 

[Carolyn Heath]

This information will be good to write in your ICD-9 book for referemce.

 

[Kristen Savage]

Ya...try surfing the net and research about which you want to pick on..

 

[Carolyn Heath]

That was discussed in the January 2013 webinar.