Primary Tumor Staging

Practices were required to report clinical and staging data associated with each beneficiary’s assigned cancer. Primary Tumor (T) describes the size and/or the extension of the primary tumor specifically defined for each cancer site. Generally, the higher the Primary Tumor category (value), the greater the extent of the disease and generally the worse the prognosis; some exceptions exist. 

Primary tumor reporting was required for breast cancer, female GU other than ovarian cancer, gastro-esophageal cancer, kidney cancer, malignant melanoma, ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer, and prostate cancer, and for the following cancer types for specific diagnosis codes: 

• Anal cancer – all diagnoses (except for C21.2 under the AJCC 8th edition)
• Bladder cancer – C65.1, C65.2, C65.9, C66.1, C66.2, C66.9, C67.0, C67.1, C67.2, C67.3, C67.4, C67.5, C67.6, C67.7, C67.8, C67.9, and C68.0
• Endocrine tumors – C73, C74.00, C74.01, C74.02, C74.10, C74.11, C74.12, C74.90, C74.91, C74.92, C7A.010, C7A.011, C7A.012, C7A.020, C7A.021, C7A.022, C7A.023, C7A.024, C7A.025, C7A.026, C7A.029, C7A.090, C7A.091 (AJCC 8th edition only), C7A.092, C7A.1, and C7A.8
• Head and neck cancer – AJCC 8th edition: all diagnoses EXCEPT C30.1, C33, C69.10, C69.11, C69.12, C69.80, C69.81, C69.82, C69.90, C69.91, and C69.92. AJCC 7th edition: all diagnoses EXCEPT C14.0, C14.2, C14.8, C30.1, C31.8, C31.9, C32.3, C33, C69.10, C69.11, C69.12, C69.90, C69.91, C69.92, and C76.0
• Liver cancer – C22.0, C22.1, C22.2, C22.3, C22.4, C22.7, C22.8, C22.9, C23, C24.0, and C24.1
• Lung cancer – C34.00, C34.01, C34.02, C34.10, C34.11, C34.12, C34.2, C34.30, C34.31, C34.32, C34.80, C34.81, C34.82, C34.90, C34.91, C34.92, C45.0, C45.7, and C45.9
• Lymphoma – AJCC 8th edition only: C84.00, C84.01, C84.02, C84.03, C84.04, C84.05, C84.06, C84.07, C84.08, C84.09, C84.10, C84.11, C84.12, C84.13, C84.14, C84.15, C84.16, C84.17, C84.18, C84.19, C84.A0, C84.A1, C84.A2, C84.A3, C84.A4, C84.A5, C84.A6, C84.A7, C84.A8, C84.A9, C86.3, and C86.6
• Small intestine/Colorectal cancer – C17.0, C17.1, C17.2, C17.8, C17.9, C18.0, C18.1, C18.2, C18.3, C18.4, C18.5, C18.6, C18.7, C18.8, C18.9, C19, and C20