FROM THE CANSWER FORUM: NAACCR WEBINAR 2016-2017 SERIES: Collecting Cancer Data:  Melanoma Part 3 – Treatment Coding Melanoma Surgical Coding A biopsy (incisional, shave, punch, elliptical, biopsy nos) with GROSS positive margins is coded to a diagnostic and staging procedure code of 02. If the biopsy removes all of the tumor it is coded to an excisional biopsy code of 27. If the biopsy removes all…

FROM THE CANSWER FORUM: NAACCR WEBINAR 2016-2017 SERIES: Collecting Cancer Data:  Melanoma Part 2 – Staging TNM Staging, Rules for Classification Clinical Complete excision of the primary tumor Clinical assessment (physical exam and imaging only) of the regional lymph nodes and intralymphatic metastasis. Pathologic Wide-excision/re-excision is considered definitive treatment Pathologic assessment of regional nodes after sentinel lymph node biopsy and/or complete regional lymphadenopathy. Pathologic confirmation of…

FROM THE CANSWER FORUM: NAACCR WEBINAR 2016-2017 SERIES: Collecting Cancer Data:  Melanoma Part 1 – MP/H Rules Multiple Primary & Histology Rules M3: Topography codes different at second (Cxx.x), third (Cxx.x) or Fourth character (Cxx.x) are multiple primaries EX: Patient has invasive melanoma on right leg (C44.7) and an invasive melanoma on right arm (C44.6) M4: Different laterality are multiple primaries EX: Patient has invasive melanoma…

FROM THE CANSWER FORUM: Examples of class of case 22 vs 30: Example 1:  The patient was diagnosed with liver metastases seen on CT at Facility A and underwent colonoscopy and biopsy of colonic tumor. The histology was low grade adenocarcinoma of colonic primary. Additional work up at Facility B revealed mesenteric lymphadenopathy and diffuse hepatic metastases. The patient was consulted at Facility B for further…