Malignant neoplasm of liver, not specified as primary or secondary

This code represents a malignant tumor originating in the liver, where the medical record does not specify whether it is a primary cancer (started in the liver) or a secondary/metastatic cancer (spread to the liver from another site). It indicates a confirmed cancerous growth within the liver parenchyma.

Use this code when the pathology report or physician documentation confirms a malignant neoplasm of the liver but explicitly states "not specified as primary or secondary," or when the documentation is ambiguous regarding the origin. This code is appropriate when further diagnostic workup is pending or inconclusive regarding the primary site.

• Avoid using this code if the documentation clearly identifies the liver cancer as primary (e.g., hepatocellular carcinoma) or secondary (e.g., metastatic colon cancer to liver).
• Always query the physician for clarification if the documentation is unclear about the primary vs. secondary nature of the liver malignancy.
• This code should be used as a last resort when the origin cannot be determined, even after physician query.