Oncology & Hematology Coding Alert

Question: How is immunotherapy different from chemotherapy in treatment of cancer?

Ohio Subscriber

Answer: Immunotherapy in cancer treatment is used for stimulating or boosting the immune system to be able to attack and kill the cancer cells. Chemotherapy comprises agents that kill the cancer cells when administered. Immunotherapy drugs are more increasingly used to treat a number of cancers. For example, cancers of the prostate, lung, bladder, breast, colon, and kidney have immunotherapy options. Immunotherapy is also used in the treatment of leukemia, lymphoma, multiple myeloma, and melanoma. Monoclonal antibodies and cancer vaccines constitute the main types of immunotherapies used in cancer treatment. You can read more about immunotherapy at http://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatmentsandsideeffects/treatmenttypes/immunotherapy/immunotherapy-types.

You have distinct codes to report for encounters of chemotherapy and immunotherapy, i.e. Z51.11 (Encounter for antineoplastic chemotherapy) and Z51.12 (Encounter for antineoplastic immunotherapy).