Tip: Look to D3A.8 for a neuroendocrine tumor that isn’t further specified.
Begin your search for the right code for a patient’s malignant carcinoid tumor in the alphabetic index, not the Neoplasm Table, or risk a coding error.
For example: If you search in the Neoplasm Table under “colon” for a diagnosis of a malignant carcinoid tumor of the colon, and followed it to C18.9 (Malignant neoplasm of colon, unspecified), you risk assigning an incorrect code.
That’s because malignant carcinoid tumors are a specific type of cancer known as neuroendocrine tumors. These tumors grow in cells that make hormones and can occur in various areas of body including the organs of the digestive system, lungs, pancreas, ovaries and thyroid, according to WebMD.
And like certain other neoplasms, such as melanoma and leukemia, you won’t find codes for malignant carcinoid tumors in the Neoplasm Table. Instead, look to the alphabetic index. [CPH, 8/17]
To find the right code for a malignant carcinoid tumor of the colon, look under “tumor, carcinoid” scroll to “malignant” and then to “colon,” which will lead to C7A.029 (Malignant carcinoid tumor of the large intestine, unspecified portion).
Tip: Search the alphabetic index first, always, according to coding guidelines. If the code for the type of cancer you’re coding is found in the Neoplasm Table, the index will direct you there. [I.B.1]