Reader Question:
Seek Seminoma Encounter Codes
Published on Sun Nov 11, 2012
Question: What is the proper coding for this encounter? A patient presented for chemotherapy to treat seminoma:10 minute IV of bleomycin (30 units)60 minute infusion of etoposide (207 mg)60 minute infusion of cisplatin (41.4 mg).New Jersey SubscriberAnswer: Because the patient presented for chemotherapy, your first-listed diagnosis should be V58.11 (Encounter for antineoplastic chemotherapy). Then you should report the neoplasm being treated. Seminoma is testicular cancer. The appropriate testicular neoplasm code is 186.9 (Malignant neoplasm of other and unspecified testis). Note that ICD-9-CM includes only 186.0 (Malignant neoplasm of undescended testis) and 186.9 in the 186.x range. ICD-10-CM expands your options with the C62.- range, which includes codes specific to right, left, undescended, and descended.Tip: The patient may have had surgery to remove the cancer (removal of one or both testes is called orchiectomy). But because the patient is still having treatment directed at that site, you should use 186.9 rather [...]