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I would want to know metastatic from or to? Then from there you can decide the dx code better. this way you don't know if it is from the liver or metatstatic from somehwere else and now showing in the liver.

This would require more information so I would query the provider.
 
Evelyn Kim said:
I would want to know metastatic from or to? Then from there you can decide the dx code better. this way you don't know if it is from the liver or metatstatic from somehwere else and now showing in the liver.

This would require more information so I would query the provider.
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Yes i agree, so what do you think it means if that is all you have?? I know it's ambiguous. I interpret the statement to mean they have liver cancer that has metastasized to another area rather than from another area to the liver.
 
According to coding clinics this would be coded as primary unknown (199.1) with liver as the metastatic site, reason being liver is rare as a primary site but more common as a metastatic site.
 
Thanks for your thoughts. I always took it to mean that it was the primary, although I do know that primary liver cancer is much less common that secondary. So for the phrase 'metastatic colon cancer' you would definitely say the primary site was somewhere else, with metastasis to the colon?
 
no again according to coding clinics metastatic colon cancer would be primary colon and metastaic site unknown, as colon is more common as a primary site and less common as a metastatic site. They gave a list of the lesser common primary sites that were to be taken as the metastatic when stated as you have indicated, they were Brain , liver, bone, heart, adrenal, and there were a couple of others I am unable to recall at this point.
 
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