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Gastroenterology Coding Alert

ICD-10:

Switch to C18.8 When Coding Overlapping Colon Cancer in 2013

Published on Fri Apr 01, 2011

New code for ICD-10 will specify contiguous or overlapping sites. When using the ICD-9-CM code set, you would usually report 153.8 (Malignant neoplasm of other specified sites of large intestine) for patients diagnosed with colon (colorectal) cancer. Colon or colorectal cancer is cancer that starts in the large intestine (colon) or the rectum (end of the colon). Other types of cancer can affect the colon, such as lymphoma, carcinoid tumors, melanoma, and sarcomas. ICD difference: Effective Oct. 1, 2013, 153.8 maps directly to C18.8 (Malignant neoplasm of overlapping sites of colon). The ICD-10 code's descriptor slightly changes to indicate contiguous or overlapping sites. Documentation: Remember, if the provider performs a colon cancer test because the patient shows signs and symptoms, you would use the sign and symptom code to explain the reason for the test, not the screening code. For instance in colonoscopy, V76.51 (Special screening for malignant neoplasms; colon) [...]
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