Oncology & Hematology Coding Alert

Question:Which ICD-9 codes should I use for the following case? The patient presents for external beam radiation therapy directed at a primary malignant neoplasm of the middle lobe of the lung. (The patient has a secondary neoplasm in the occipital lobe.) The oncologist ordered the radiation as a palliative treatment to help alleviate breathing problems.Maryland SubscriberAnswer:You'll need to report more than one diagnosis code to describe this case.Radiation: If the encounter is solely for radiation therapy, ICD-9 official guidelines state you should first assign V58.0 (Encounter for radiotherapy).Neoplasm: You next should report the code for the neoplasm at which treatment is directed, ICD-9 guidelines state. In this case, report 162.4 (Malignant neoplasm of trachea, bronchus, and lung; middle lobe, bronchus or lung).You may choose to report the secondary malignancy, as well, to indicate the extent of the disease process.Palliative: You also need to indicate that the treatment is palliative by [...]