# Invasive carcinoma ?



## Trendale (Jun 8, 2011)

Hi,
 I am trying to figure out if invasive means metastasis( secondary) or primay.
The path reports states:

 INVASIVE squamous cell carcinoma for the RT arm arm, invading 0.5cm, 

And, Squamous carcinoma left distal arm, invading 0.1cm

And, squamous carcinoma, invading 0.1cm, left upper arm

Does the path report has to state metastatic in order to code it as secondary or is invasive another term for metastatic?
Should the above be coded as 173.6 or 198.2?
I know Invasive SCC refers to cancer cells that have grown into the deeper layers of the skin, the dermis, However does this constitute metastatic dz?

Thanks in advance!


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## dadhich.girish (Jun 8, 2011)

No, it does not mean metastatic.  The documentation must state metastatic or secondary for it to be coded such.

HTH


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## preserene (Jun 8, 2011)

INVASIVE MEANS -the abnormal cells invades into the next layers or surrounding layers from the site of its original place. (ie) the neoplastic collection one type of cells with it abnormal size, shape and bizarreness, infiltrate or destroy the surrounding tissue or layers of different type of cell layers or tissues .
It is just clicking away from the " insitu" dormancy or status into the "infiltration status" of affecting the surrounding layers or blocks of layers of different type- for(eg) the neoplastic cells/cancer cells of epithelium, getting invaded into the next mucosal layers or muscle layers of the surrounding area of the same organ.
INSITU, INVASIVE CARCINOMAS, CAARCINOMAS IN THE SAME ORGAN/SITE OR REGION- ARE  'PRIMARY ' .
FOR STAGING,CLINICAL CLASSIFICATION AND SURGICAL PURPOSE, THE 'INSITU' AND 'INVASIVE' ARE LABELED  BY THE MEASUREMENT OF THIER INVOLVEMENT.

"METASTATIC" MEANS IT SPREADS WAY  BEYOND THE ORGAN/REGION OF ITS ORIGIN -THIS IS CALLED 'SECONDARY.
Does this help you?


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## Trendale (Jun 9, 2011)

*Thanks!*

Yes this helps a lot! The detailed information made it very clear. Thank you both!


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