Self Instructional Manual for Cancer Registrars - SEER - National ...

The manner in which the findings in Example F1 can be summarized on the cancer registry
abstract is as follows:
Example FI: 3/31/91. Procto.: Mass palpable posteriorly; feels fixed to sacrum. Multiple Bx
taken. Obstruction @ 8 cm; could not examine above.
Comments:
a. A proctoscopic examination will include both a digital (finger) examination and a
proctoscopic inspection. Sometimes the findings from these two different procedures will
not be described separately. This does not matter to the abstractor. When abstracting the
findings, you can combine them to get the most complete and concise description.
b. The medical definition of the term "lumen" is the cavity or channel within a tube or tubular
organ. Endoscopes enter the body through the lumens of the colon-rectum, the esophagus,
the trachea-bronchi and the urethra.
c. Biopsies were taken; theretore, the medical record should contain pathology reports
dcscribing these findings.
The general procedures lbr abstracting the proctoscopy report are:
1. Record the date and type of procedure.
2. Combine the findings of the digital and proctoscopic examination into a short but complete
statement of the pertinent findings.
3. If biopsies were taken, locate the pathology report and abstract the findings.
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