I posted this in the NCRA group shortly after the FORDS revisions
were sent out and the age-old questioned was asked again. Here is
the information that I found on the I&R most recently.
Hope it helps.

Question 12835: Our physicians say the excision of the lymph node
is for diagnostic and staging not a surgically directed surgery so
it should be coded 02 not 25. They said most lymphoma unless
extranodal are not surgically resected.

In Reply:
We agree with your physicians that most lymphoma lymph node
excisions are for diagnosis and staging and should be coded as a
Surgical Diagnostic and Staging Procedure rather than a Surgical
Procedure of the Primary Site. The latter code is provided for
recording the less common situation when the procedure meets the
definition of an excisional biopsy.

Sincerely yours,

I & R System
American College of Surgeons
Fax: 312-202-5009
E-mail: inquiry@f...


--- In cancerregistrargroup@yahoogroups.com, towellde
<no_reply@y...> wrote:
>
> Back in August I sent out the message below regarding how to code
> cases that are Lymphoma primaries with a lymph node excision. I
> noticed in the FORDS replacement pages that there is finally a
> definitive answer. We would use surgery code 25 because it is now
> defined as: Less than a full chain, includes an excisional bx of a
> single lymph node.
> I just wanted to share as this question received many different
> responses.
>
>
>
>
> --- In cancerregistrargroup@yahoogroups.com, towellde
<no_reply@y...>
> wrote:
> > I have a coding question. We have received 2 very different
> answers
> > regarding this question from ACOS I&R, so I thought I'd like to
get
> > some feedback regarding this topic from those of you out in the
> > workforce.
> >
> > Using FORDS:
> > When the primary site is coded as Lymph nodes and the histology
is
> a
> > lymphoma, how is an excisional bx of the LN coded? Do you use
> surgery
> > code 25 or code it in the "surgical, diagnostic, and staging"
field
> > as an 01 or 02?
> >
> >
> > thanks for your input!
> > Deborah Towell, CTR
> > Oregon State Cancer Registry
> > deborah.j.towell@s...