--- In cancerregistrargroup@yahoogroups.com, "careg3" <careg3@y...>
wrote:
> Please excuse my ignorance, but I am just learning about staging.
I
> am confused about these cancers not being stageable. I saw the
> notation in the AJCC book that uterus staging does not include
> sarcomas. I understand that part. Leiomyosarcoma shows up under
soft
> tissue sarcomas in the staging book. Does leiomyosarcoma of uterus
> not get staged because it originates in smooth muscle instead of
soft
> tissue? Please clarify and I apologize for my confusion, but I am
> just learning to abstract and I am having a bit of trouble with
> staging.
> Thanks

I guess you can look at it as this does not fit properly into either
category for staging. Being that the tumor is in a parenchymatous
organ (Endometrium, Uterus, Etc...) you would use that site code for
the primary site but since the histology is a sarcoma that eliminates
the case from staging using the Uterine guidelines. So you go to the
Soft Tissue Sarcoma guidelines and since you are not using a soft
tissue Code (c38 and C47-49 range)for the primary site that would
elimate staging under these giudeline. So it would therefore be
unstageable under ACJJ guidelines. Since these cases are rare, and
would not follow typical treatment guidelines, you really would not
want to group these with all your others uterine cancers because is
could effect your survival statistics, etc...