CPC Guidelines Practice Test 2025 – Comprehensive Exam Prep

When a primary malignancy has been excised, it is important to continue using the primary malignancy code until the treatment course is fully completed. This is because the context of the malignant condition remains relevant for the patient's care and further treatment decisions. Even after surgical excision, the malignancy may still have implications for follow-up care, monitoring for recurrence, and associated treatments such as chemotherapy or radiation therapy.

Using the primary malignancy code during this period provides important information about the patient's medical history and current status to healthcare providers. It identifies that there was a malignancy, and even though it has been excised, the patient is still under treatment protocols that could be indicative of ongoing risk or need for additional interventions. Therefore, as long as the patient is receiving treatment related to the malignancy, the primary malignancy code should be retained in their medical documentation.