California Cancer Reporting System Standards Volume I: Abstracting and Coding Procedures for Hospitals
Accurate identification of a patient's primary neoplasm is essential for determination of the extent to which the disease has progressed. It is also imperative for successful use of the data by research scientists and public health officials.
A primary neoplasm is the original lesion, as compared to a tumor that has developed as a result of metastasis or extension. A patient might have many lesions that developed from one tumor or different tumors that developed independently.
Beginning with cases diagnosed January 1, 2007 forward, the 2007 Multiple Primary and Histology Rules must be used to determine histologic type. Do not apply these rules to cases diagnosed prior to January 1, 2007. Refer to the Multiple Primary and Histology Coding Rules Manual for details and instructions.
For cases diagnosed January 1, 2005 through December 31, 2006, apply the SEER Multiple Primary and Histology Rules as written in the SEER Program Coding and Staging Manual, 2004.