Esophagus, primary malignancy

ICD10 Diagnosis
Dx: Esophagus, primary malignancy
ICD10 code: C15
Pre-ICD10 counterpart: none assigned
Charlson/ALERT Scale: none
APACHE Como Component: none
APACHE Acute Component: none
Start Date:
Stop Date:
Data Dependencies(Reports/Indicators/Data Elements): No results
External ICD10 Documentation

This diagnosis is a part of ICD10 collection.

  • SMW
    • 2019-01-01
    • 2999-12-31
    • C15
  • Cargo


  • Categories
  • SMW
  • Cargo


  • Categories
  • SMW
  • Cargo


  • Categories
  • SMW
  • Cargo


  • Categories
  • SMW
  • Cargo


  • Categories

Additional Info

Using ICD10 Malignancy Codes as a Comorbid Diagnosis

  • Any cancer/malignancy (either a "solid tumor" or a leukemia/lymphoma/bone marrow malignancy/"liquid tumor", i.e. any ICD10 code from C00-C99) can be a comorbid diagnosis --- BUT it's vital to distinguish malignancies in this category based on whether they are believed to be cured or not.
  • If it's still present (or believed to be present), then just include the code for the specific cancer as a comorbid diagnosis.
  • If INSTEAD, it's presumed cured, then in the "bin" of comorbid diagnoses combine the code for the specific cancer with this code: Past history, cancer (any type), believed cured
C00-C99 codes codes:

Metastases

Metastasis codes:

Regarding Presumptive Diagnosis of Malignancy

  • Rarely a presumptive diagnosis is made without any tissue confirmation. This generally occurs with:
    1. risk of obtaining tissue is very high
    2. plan would be palliative regardless
    3. patient would refuse care regardless.
  • Our issue for how to code a presumed malignancy without definitive histopathologic proof is this:
    • If the physicians are going to proceed with a treatment plan without that definitive histopathologic proof --- then code whatever is their best guess about what is present. Example: believed to be lung cancer with a big brain met, and they've decided NOT to do any biopsy but to give palliative radiation therapy, then you'd code lung cancer, and met to brain.
    • If the plan is to obtain a definitive histopathologic diagnosis soon or in the future, then instead code: Neoplasm of uncertain behavior (i.e. not clear if benign or malignant), NOS

"work-up for cancer"

If the cancer has not been confirmed then it should not be coded as cancer. Code relevant test abnormal test results or symptoms.

Testing codes:
Symptom/Sign codes:
Example:   

"I have a patient who comes in with vague respiratory and gi symptoms. They did a chest xray and found a lung mass. They are now working him up for a probable lung ca, with mets to various places. In the old coding I would use ca-nyd. I actually use the ca nyd subcode a lot. I’ve talked to you about this before, because there is no ca nyd in icd10. You told me that you either have cancer or you don’t. For this particular patient I really wouldn’t have anything else I could code in icd10 for him. His symptoms are extremely vague. I don’t really like coding just symptoms, if there isn’t a proper admit diagnosis that fits better anyway. I found a “neoplasm of uncertain behavior (i.e. uncertain if benign or malignant), nos”, but I don’t really like that one. It doesn’t really fit. Is it possible to get something like “admit for workup of malignancy”, or something along those lines?" (Debbie, 12:40, 2018 October 4 (CDT)) How should this be coded? Ttenbergen 12:40, 2018 October 4 (CDT)

Alternate ICD10s to consider coding instead or in addition

Gastrointestinal neoplasm codes:
Metastasis codes:

Data Integrity Checks (automatic list)

none found

Related articles:


Show all ICD10 Subcategories

ICD10 Categories: