Gastroenterology Coding Alert

Question: What are the criteria to consider a person as having high risk for colorectal cancer?

Mississippi Subscriber

Answer: In order to assign a person at a high risk of having colorectal cancer, you must look out for the presence of one or more of following characteristics:

• A personal or family history of adenomatous polyposis
• A personal or family history of colorectal cancer (Z85.030 (Personal history of malignant carcinoid tumor of large intestine), Z85.038 (…other malignant neoplasm of large intestine), Z85.040 (…malignant carcinoid tumor of rectum))
• A close relative has had colorectal cancer or adenomatous polyposis (Z80.0 (Family history of malignant neoplasm of digestive organs), Z83.71(Family history of colonic polyps))
• Inflammatory bowel disease, ulcerative colitis (K50) or Crohn’s disease (K51).

A close relative means siblings, parents or children.