ICD-10 Codes for Reporting Liver Cancer – A Chronic Liver Condition

ICD-10 Codes for Reporting Liver Cancer – A Chronic Liver Condition

Read about liver cancer, its causes and symptoms along with the ICD10 codes to report this condition.

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Reports from Cancer.Net suggest that an estimated 42,030 adults (29,480 men and 12,550 women) will be diagnosed with primary liver cancer (2019 statistics) in the United States.

In fact, the chances of liver cancer are about 3 times more in men than women. Liver cancer refers to the growth and spread of unhealthy cells in the liver. The condition occurs when liver cells develop changes (mutations) in their DNA. The exact cause of liver cancer is unknown. In most cases, the condition occurs due to the scarring of the liver (also referred to as cirrhosis) and chronic hepatitis infections. Treatment options for this condition may depend on the type of liver cancer a person suffers from. Physicians treating liver cancer patients need to know theICD-10 codes to report this condition correctly. Medical billing services from a reliable and established gastroenterology medical billing company would help in accurate and timely claim filing for appropriate reimbursement.

Diagnosis and Treatment Options Generally, liver cancer is more common in people above the age group of 50 years. This type of cancer is generally classified into two major types – primary and secondary.

Primary liver cancer begins in the cells of the liver whereas secondary type develops when cancer cells from another organ spread to the liver. In most cases, people do not experience any specific symptoms in the early stages of the condition. However, as the condition becomes more advanced, certain common symptoms like - enlarged liver, abdominal discomfort, pain, and tenderness, unexplained weight loss, loss of appetite, back pain and itchy skin may appear.

Initial diagnosis of liver cancer begins with a detailed physical examination and medical history evaluation. Physicians may recommend additional tests like - blood tests, tests for viral hepatitis and other imaging tests like Ultrasound, CT scan and MRI scan to analyze the severity of the condition. A liver biopsy may also be recommended to diagnose whether the tumor is cancerous or non-cancerous.

Identifying the specific stage of cancer is crucial for determining the correct treatment options. For early-stage liver cancer patients, surgery may be a preferred option. Surgical options include partial hepatectomy and liver transplant surgery. Treatment options for advanced stage liver cancer areablative therapy, radiation therapy and chemotherapy.

Hepatologists, gastroenterologists and oncology specialists offering treatment for liver need to correctly document the diagnosis, screening and other procedures performed using the right medical codes. Outsourced billing services provided by reputable medical billing companies can help physicians in using the correct codes for their medical billing process.

ICD-10-CM codes for liver cancer include –  

C22 – Malignant neoplasm of liver and intrahepatic bile ducts C22.0 – Liver cell carcinoma

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C22.1 – Intrahepatic bile duct carcinoma C22.2 – Hepatoblastoma C22.3 – Angiosarcoma of liver C22.4 – Other sarcomas of liver C22.7 – Other specified carcinomas of liver C22.8 – Malignant neoplasm of liver, primary, unspecified as to type C22.9 – Malignant neoplasm of liver, not specified as primary or secondary

Diagnosing liver cancer at an early stage is one of the best steps to prevent the cancer in the long run. Other additional prevention strategies include – reducing the occurrence of cirrhosis (scarring of the liver) and avoiding hepatitis B and C infections. Maintaining a healthy body weight and quitting the habit of drinking can help prevent the incidence of liver cancer.

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