Hormone Therapy Code

Field Length: 1

Record '1' if hormone treatment agents were administered as first course treatment at this or any other facilities.

• Record prednisone as hormonal therapy when administered in combination with chemotherapy, such as MOPP (mechlorethamine, vincristine, procarbazine, prednisone) or COPP (cyclophosphamide, vincristine, procarbazine, prednisone).

• Do not code prednisone as hormone therapy when it is administered for reasons other than chemotherapeutic treatment.  For example, a patient has advanced lung cancer with multiple metastases to the brain. The physician orders Decadron to reduce the edema in the brain and relieve the neurological symptons. Decadron is not coded as hormone therapy.  Or, a patient with advanced disease is given Prednisone to stimulate the appetite and improve nutritional status. Do not code the Prednisone as hormone therapy.

• Some types of cancers are slowed or suppressed by hormones. These cancers are treated by administering hormones.

Example 1: Endometrial cancer may be treated with progesterone. Code all administration of progesterone to patients with endometrial cancer in this field. Even if the progesterone is given for menopausal symptoms, it has an effect on the growth or recurrence of endometrial cancer.

Example 2: Follicular and papillary cell cancers of the thyroid are often treated with thyroid hormone to suppress serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). If a patient with follicular cell-derived cancer of the thyroid (8260, 8330, 8331, 8332, 8335, 8340, or 8346) is given a thyroid hormone, code the treatment in this field.

• Tumor involvement or treatment may destroy hormone-producing tissue. Hormone replacement therapy will be given if the hormone is necessary to maintain normal metabolism and body function. Do not code hormone replacement therapy as part of first course therapy, except for thyroid replacement therapy, as described above.

• Use the SEER Rx program (available from web site: http://seer.cancer.gov/tools/seerrx/) to identify hormonal agents.  For pre-2005 diagnoses, refer to Appendix H and to the Self-Instructional Manual for Tumor Registrars: Book 8 - Antineoplastic Drugs, Third Edition.

• Code surgery or radiation given for hormonal effect under Transplant/Endocrine Procedures (Item # 50220).