V.6.2.4 Clinical Stage Group

Coding Instructions:

• Refer to the most current AJCC Cancer Staging Manual for coding instructions.

• Left justify and leave remaining spaces blank if the value does not fill all characters.

• Convert Roman numerals to Arabic numerals and use upper-case capital letters only.

• Code the clinical Stage Group as documented by the managing provider or first treating provider in the medical record.

• If the managing provider has not recorded the clinical Stage Group, registrars will code the clinical Stage Group based on the best information available.

• Assigning Stage when the only information available is Stage Group and no information for T, N, or M:

• Assume the Stage Group is clinical in the following situations:

• The patient presents for neoadjuvant therapy

• The patient is coming in for surgery

• Assign the given clinical Stage Group and leave the corresponding T, N, and M components blank

• Default to clinical when unable to determine if clinical or pathologic

Example:

Physician documents breast tumor, Stage IIIC. No other information available.

Assign Clinical Stage Group IIIC. Leave the clinical T, N, and M data items blank.

• Use code 88 for clinical T, N, and M as well as Stage Group in the following situations:  

• Site/histology combination is not defined in the AJCC Manual

• For in situ tumors that are not staged according to the AJCC Manual

Codes:

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