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

C. Other Previous Neoplasms
Some registries prepare separate abstracts for each previously diagnosed primary mentioned in the
patient's history. Other registries may elect only to record the fact that the patient has a history
of one or more primary cancers if there is no evidence of these earlier cancers at time of admission.
Your Cancer Committee will decide how your registry will handle previous neoplasms. Whether
entered on a separate abstract or on the abstract of the neoplasm for which the patient is admitted,
the date, site, type, and treatment of the earlier diagnosis should be recorded in a uniform manner.
Admission Date
Record the date the patient was first admitted to your hospital for diagnosis and/or treatment of his or her
malignancy. The patient may be readmitted many times for the same primary. Record only the date of the
first admission. Sometimes the patient may be seen and treated only in an outpatient clinic or in the
radiology department. For such cases, record the date the patient first appeared at the outpatient clinic or
radiology department for diagnosis and/or treatment of this malignancy.
Diagnosis Date
Record the first diagnosis of this cancer by a recognized medical practitioner. This may be a clinical diagnosis
and may not ever be confirmed histologically. When the biopsy is histologically confirmed, the date of
diagnosis is the date of the first clinical diagnosis and not the date of confirmation.
Discharge Date
Record the date patient was discharged from the hospital following first admission for this malignancy.
patients seen only as outpatients, leave blank.
For
21