California Cancer Reporting System Standards Volume I: Abstracting and Coding Procedures
Chemotherapy includes the use of any chemical to attack or treat cancer tissue, unless the chemical achieves its effect through change of the hormone balance or by affecting the patient's immune system.
In coding consider only the agent, not the method of administering it, although the method of administration may be recorded.
Chemotherapy typically is administered orally, intravenously, or intracavitary, and sometimes topically or by isolated limb perfusion.
The drugs are frequently given in combinations that are referred to by acronyms or protocols. Do not record the protocol numbers alone.
Two or more single agents given at separate times during the first course of cancer directed therapy are considered to be a combination regimen.
SEER*Rx is the downloadable, interactive antineoplastic drug database that replaces SEER Self-Instructional Manual Book 8, Antineoplastic Drugs. The software can be downloaded from the SEER*Rx Web Site.
NOTE: January 1, 2012 and forward, do not code chemotherapy when documented as being used for radio-sensitization.
Exception: Cisplatin used for radio-sensitization.