Oncology & Hematology Coding Alert

Question: In a patient with ovarian tumor, our physician has documented a diagnosis of “Serous tumor of low malignant potential (atypical proliferative serous tumor of ovary).” Can we report code 183.0 for this diagnosis? 

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Answer: You should not report code 183.0 (Malignant neoplasm of ovary) for the diagnosis of serous tumor of low malignant potential. 

Borderline malignancy: Serous tumor of the ovary is considered a borderline malignancy. This type of tumor usually remains confined to the ovary. When your physician removes the tumor, there is a 95-100 percent survival rate. Also note this type of tumor can recur in other areas and some of them do later become invasive, and may hence turn into malignant type.

Borderline tumor is not malignant: Because it is a borderline tumor, you should think of it as a tumor of uncertain behavior, and you should report 236.2 (Neoplasm of uncertain behavior of ovary). 

ICD-10-CM: The code 236.2 maps to three options in ICD-10-CM:

• D39.10, Neoplasm of uncertain behavior of unspecified ovary 
• D39.11, Neoplasm of uncertain behavior of right ovary 
• D39.12, Neoplasm of uncertain behavior of left ovary.