Secondary malignant neoplasm of unspecified urinary organs

This code indicates the presence of a metastatic cancerous tumor that originated from a primary site elsewhere in the body and has spread to an unspecified organ within the urinary system. This diagnosis signifies that the urinary organ is not the primary site of the cancer but rather a location where the cancer has subsequently established itself.

Use this code when documentation confirms a secondary malignant neoplasm affecting a urinary organ, but the specific urinary organ involved (e.g., bladder, kidney, ureter, urethra) is not clearly identified. This code is appropriate when the physician's notes explicitly state "secondary malignant neoplasm of urinary organ, unspecified" or similar ambiguous phrasing regarding the exact site.

• Always strive for greater specificity. If the documentation allows, code to the specific urinary organ involved (e.g., C79.11 for kidney, C79.19 for other specified urinary organs).
• This code should be sequenced after the primary malignant neoplasm code, if known and still active.
• Avoid using this code if the documentation indicates a primary malignancy of a urinary organ; in such cases, a C64-C68 code would be more appropriate.