August 2013
Welcome to the new web-based MCSS News and Views. This will be a quarterly newsletter with
information from MCSS regarding ongoing projects at MCSS, news, updates and reminders for registrars,
and employee updates.
First off, MCSS would like to thank all the hospital registrars and pathology laboratory staff for their
efforts in getting their cancer information into MCSS in a timely fashion.
Electronic Reporting of Pathology Reports
MCSS will be hiring a person to work solely with pathology laboratories that are interested in reporting
pathology reports to MCSS electronically. The file should ideally be in HL7 format and submissions can
be “dumped” into the MCSS “bucket” daily, weekly, or monthly.
Benefits of electronic reporting for the facility are: the MCSS Field Service Representative will not be
calling or emailing asking if a desk/computer is open in the pathology laboratory or where ever we
perform the pathology report review thus we will not be making as many visits to the facility. This will
save staff time in finding a location for us to sit, then another place to put us when we get “kicked out”
of the first location, thus increasing staff productivity by not having us there.
Benefits from MCSS’ standpoint are: we will not be calling or emailing asking if a desk/computer is open
in the pathology laboratory or where ever we perform the pathology report review thus we will not be
making as many visits to the facility. This will save time and money on our end and allow us more time
to work on completeness of reporting and hopefully more quality issues.
If your facility is interested in electronically reporting its’ pathology reports, please contact your Field
Service Representative.
Clinically Diagnosed Cancers
MCSS began accepting clinically diagnosed cancers from hospital registries starting with diagnosis date
of 1/1/2012. If your case selection for submitting to MCSS has not been revised to include clinical cases
diagnosed 1/1/2012 or after, please revise your query now.
FIGO Grade
FIGO Grade is recorded in the SSF for gynecological sites.
To code the Grade/Differentiation follow these guidelines:
• If the pathology report states only “FIGO Grade 2” the Grade/Differentiation field should be
coded 9.
• If the pathologist provides a clear “crosswalk” between the FIGO system and the 3 grade
system described in FORDS, the grade code would be entered according to the FORDS
instructions for coding grade.
 A “crosswalk” may be if the pathologist states “moderately well differentiated
endometrioid adenocarcinoma, FIGO Grade 2.” “Moderately well differentiated”
would be coded grade 2 per FORDS instructions.
 Another “crosswalk” may look like FIGO Grade 2 (II/III). “II/III” would be coded 2 per
FORDS instructions.
Histology Tips
There have been several MCSS edits regarding coding of female genital sites. The correct codes for the
following histology’s are:
Serous carcinoma of female genital sites = 84413
Papillary serous carcinoma = 84603
Papillary serous carcinoma, primary peritoneal = 84613
Papillary serous surface carcinoma = 84613
Abstracting Tips
Please remember to check county codes. If you get a pop-up or edit regarding the county code for the
address selected, please confirm the county before submitting the case to MCSS.
Physical exam text should have some description of exam results, not just the age, sex, race, ethnicity of
the patient and their chief complaint.