CTR Casefinding 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which ICD-10-CM code range indicates a primary malignant neoplasm and is a key target during casefinding?
- Z85.x – Personal history of malignant neoplasm
- C00–C96 – Malignant neoplasms (Correct answer)
- D37–D48 – Neoplasms of uncertain behavior
- D50–D89 – Diseases of the blood
Correct answer: C00–C96 – Malignant neoplasms
ICD-10-CM codes C00–C96 represent primary malignant neoplasms and are the primary codes targeted in diagnosis-index casefinding.
Question 2: When casefinding from the radiation oncology department, which document is the BEST primary source to identify new cancer cases?
- Radiation therapy billing summary
- Simulation and treatment planning records (Correct answer)
- Patient consent forms
- Room scheduling logs
Correct answer: Simulation and treatment planning records
Simulation and treatment planning records document the specific site being treated and the cancer diagnosis, making them the most useful primary casefinding source in radiation oncology.
Question 3: A registrar is conducting casefinding and finds a patient who had a positive fine needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy for malignancy performed at the facility but received all treatment elsewhere. Is this case reportable?
- No, because treatment was not at the facility
- Yes, as an analytic case because diagnosis was made at the facility (Correct answer)
- Yes, but only as a non-analytic case
- No, FNA alone does not confirm malignancy
Correct answer: Yes, as an analytic case because diagnosis was made at the facility
A case is analytic when the diagnosing facility is your own, even if treatment occurs elsewhere; diagnosis at the facility makes it a Class 1 analytic case.
Question 4: What is the purpose of casefinding audits in a cancer registry program?
- To remove duplicate cases from the database
- To verify completeness and identify missed reportable cases (Correct answer)
- To update treatment information for analytic cases
- To generate survival statistics
Correct answer: To verify completeness and identify missed reportable cases
Casefinding audits assess whether all reportable cases are being captured and identify gaps in the casefinding process.
Question 5: Squamous cell carcinoma of the skin is diagnosed and treated at your facility. How is this handled for registry purposes?
- Reportable and abstracted as an analytic case
- Not reportable under ACOS CoC standards (Correct answer)
- Reportable only if it involves the lip
- Reportable only if metastatic
Correct answer: Not reportable under ACOS CoC standards
Squamous cell carcinoma of the skin (except lip) is excluded from reportability under ACOS CoC standards, similar to basal cell carcinoma.
Question 6: A hospital registrar is reviewing the hematology/oncology clinic schedules for casefinding. A new patient has a diagnosis of 'myelodysplastic syndrome.' Is this reportable?
- No, it is a benign blood disorder
- Yes, MDS is a reportable hematopoietic neoplasm (Correct answer)
- Only if it transforms to acute leukemia
- Only if chemotherapy is given
Correct answer: Yes, MDS is a reportable hematopoietic neoplasm
Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) is a reportable hematopoietic neoplasm per SEER and ACOS CoC guidelines.
Question 7: Which of the following best describes a 'suspense system' in cancer registry casefinding?
- A list of cases pending pathology confirmation before abstracting (Correct answer)
- A system that automatically flags all ICD codes for review
- A backup database for non-analytic cases
- A method for tracking cases lost to follow-up
Correct answer: A list of cases pending pathology confirmation before abstracting
A suspense system holds potential cases identified from logs or schedules until pathology or other confirmation is received, ensuring no cases are missed.
CTR Casefinding 3
Which ICD-10-CM code range indicates a primary malignant neoplasm and is a key target during casefinding?