BC Advantage - 2008 Issue 2

Coding Diagnoses in Patients Treated Successfully for Malignancy

The ultimate goal of cancer therapy to complete remove or eradicate a malignant tumor. Patients who no longer have signs of a malignancy may still require ongoing maintenance therapies related to the cancer or may need future care unrelated to the cancers. Providers need to know how to code the appropriate diagnosis code.The correct approach to coding is contained in the ICD-9-CM 2008 Coding Guidelines in the chapter specific coding guideslines for Neoplasms (Section 1.C.2) . If therapy is directed at a malignancy, past or present, the malignancy should be the primary diagnosis code. If a malignancy...

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