Reportable Cases

Definition of Reportable Cases

The Benign Brain Tumors Cancer Registries Amendment Act, Public Law 107-260, refers to CNS tumors as "brain-related tumors". Brain-related tumors are defined by public law 107-260 as follows:

The term "brain-related tumor" means a listed primary tumor (whether malignant or benign) occurring in any of the following sites:

  1. The brain, meninges, spinal cord, cauda equina, a cranial nerve or nerves, or any other part of the central nervous system.
  2. The pituitary gland, pineal gland, or craniopharyngeal duct.

All cancer registry standard setters have adopted this definition for reportability of brain tumors.

Sites Included in the Definition for CNS Tumors

  • Brain (C71.0 - C71.9)
  • Cerebrum (C71.0)
  • Frontal lobe (C71.1)
  • Temporal lobe (C71.2)
  • Parietal lobe (C71.3)
  • Occipital lobe (C71.4)
  • Ventricle (C71.5)
  • Cerebellum (C71.6)
  • Brain stem (C71.7)
  • Overlapping lesion of the brain (C71.8)
  • Brain NOS (C71.9)
  • Meninges (C70.0 - C70.9)
    • Cerebral meninges (C70.0)
    • Spinal meninges (C70.1)
    • Meninges NOS (C70.9)
  • Spinal cord (C72.0)
  • Cauda equina (C72.1)
  • Cranial nerves (C72.2 - C72.5)
    • Olfactory nerve (C72.2)
    • Optic nerve (C72.3)
    • Acoustic nerve (C72.4)
    • Cranial nerve NOS (C72.5)
  • Other CNS (C72.8, C72.9)
  • Pituitary gland (C75.1)
  • Craniopharyngeal duct (C75.2)
  • Pineal gland (C75.3)

For the sites described, benign, borderline, and malignant tumors are reportable for cases diagnosed January 1, 2004 forward.

Unusual and Ambiguous Terminology

Unusual and ambiguous terminology used in the diagnosis of CNS tumors makes it difficult to determine if a case is reportable, and if it is reportable, to determine site and histology. If the final pathologic diagnosis is a CNS neoplasm or mass, there must be an ICD-O-3 code for the mass or neoplasm to be reportable. If there is no ICD-O-3 code for the mass or neoplasm, do not report the case.

Diagnoses like hypodense mass or cystic neoplasm are not reportable even for CNS sites. non-malignant tumors are only reportable for CNS sites.

A benign meningioma with the site listed as skull should be coded to the cerebral meninges. The meninges are between the skull and the intracranial tissues. A meningioma would originate in the meninges and can invade the skull.

If the ONLY diagnosis available is CNS "tumor" or "neoplasm" this is reportable and is coded 8000/1.