Small Cell Lung Cancer ICD-10-CM Codes
Read this short guide and learn about small cell lung cancer you can use for accurate medical billing and coding.
Fact Checked by Ericka Pingol.
What small cell lung cancer ICD codes can I use?
If you’re looking for small cell lung cancer ICD codes but are having trouble doing so, there are no ICD-10 codes with small cell lung cancer in their names. That doesn’t mean there aren’t any ICD-10 codes for that particular problem, though. You just need to adjust your search term to small cell lung carcinoma, which is a type of small cell lung cancer. Here are the ICD-10 codes related to this problem:
- C34.90 - Malignant neoplasm of unspecified part of unspecified bronchus or lung
This ICD-10 code is used on patients confirmed to have a malignant neoplasm (a cancerous tumor). In the context of this ICD-10 code, it’s located in either the bronchus or lungs, but it’s not specified which one and where exactly the tumor is.
- C34.91 - Malignant neoplasm of unspecified part of right bronchus or lung
This is the same as Item 1, but it’s confirmed that the tumor is in the right bronchus or lung, but it’s not clear where exactly in the right bronchus or lung the tumor is.
- C34.92 - Malignant neoplasm of unspecified part of left bronchus or lung
This is the same as Item 1, but it’s confirmed that the tumor is in the left bronchus or lung. It’s unclear where the tumor is in the left bronchus or lung.
- C78.00 - Secondary malignant neoplasm of unspecified lung
This ICD-10 code is used on patients confirmed to have a secondary malignant neoplasm in an unspecified lung. A secondary malignant neoplasm emerges from a pre-existing lower grade lesion. It emerged because cancer has spread from somewhere to another organ (in this case, the lungs), or from a cancer treatment complication.
- C78.01 - Secondary malignant neoplasm of right lung
This is the same as Item 4, but this time, it’s confirmed that the secondary malignant neoplasm is in the right lung.
- C78.02 - Secondary malignant neoplasm of left lung
This is the same as Item 4, but this time, it’s confirmed that the secondary malignant neoplasm is in the left lung.
Are these small cell lung cancer ICD codes billable?
Yes. All of the small cell lung cancer-related ICD-10 codes are valid and billable.
Clinical information about small cell lung cancer:
Small Cell Lung Cancer is the result of cells in the lungs mutating into cancer cells, and these cancer cells multiply, combine, and form tumors. These tumors will shed some of the cells, and these cells will travel to lymph nodes, the liver, bones, brain, and even our adrenal glands, which then give rise to more cancer cells.
Small cell lung cancer can cause pleural effusion, which is fluid build-up in the lungs. This problem can cause a lung to collapse.
If a person has small cell lung cancer, they will likely have the following symptoms:
- They will start coughing (it’ll become chronic) and may cough up blood
- They will start wheezing, and they will have a hard time breathing
- Their chest will hurt, and they will feel tired
- They will lose their appetite and lose weight
- Their face and neck veins might swell
Synonyms include:
- Extensive stage primary small cell carcinoma of lung
- Small cell carcinoma of lung
- Primary small cell carcinoma of right lung
- Primary small cell carcinoma of left lung
- Secondary small cell carcinoma of left lung
- Secondary small cell carcinoma of right lung
- Bilateral secondary small cell carcinoma of lungs
Commonly asked questions
Yes, but we don’t recommend using those because they are invalid.
Exposure to certain things might put a person at risk of getting small cell lung cancer, such as asbestos, tar, toxic chemicals, nickel, arsenic, radon gas, and cancer treatment radiation. Having HIV makes a person more at risk of getting it.
Healthcare professionals can detect and diagnose this problem through imaging tests, bronchoscopies, and biopsies.
