C78
Header — not billableSecondary malignant neoplasm of respiratory and digestive organs
The ICD-10 code for secondary malignant neoplasm of respiratory and digestive organs is C78.
C78 is a non-billable header code. It groups related conditions but cannot be used on its own for reimbursement — select one of the 9 more specific codes below.
Clinical notes
Excludes1 (not coded here)
An Excludes1 note is a pure exclusion: the excluded condition and this code should never be reported together, because the two conditions cannot occur at the same time (e.g. a congenital form vs. an acquired form of the same disease).
Excludes2 (not included here)
An Excludes2 note means the excluded condition is not part of this one, but a patient can have both at the same time — in that case both codes may be reported together.
- lymph node metastases (C77.0)
Documentation support
General coding-documentation guidance — not a substitute for payer-specific requirements or professional coding judgment.
- •This is a non-billable header code. Documentation must support a more specific child code before this diagnosis can be reported on a claim.
- •Confirm the excluded condition(s) listed above are not also present — Excludes1 conditions cannot be coded together with this one.
- •As a general rule, code to the highest level of specificity supported by the documentation in the medical record.
Child codes under C78
- C78.0Secondary malignant neoplasm of lungnon-billable header
- C78.1Secondary malignant neoplasm of mediastinum
- C78.2Secondary malignant neoplasm of pleura
- C78.3Secondary malignant neoplasm of other and unspecified respiratory organsnon-billable header
- C78.4Secondary malignant neoplasm of small intestine
- C78.5Secondary malignant neoplasm of large intestine and rectum
- C78.6Secondary malignant neoplasm of retroperitoneum and peritoneum
- C78.7Secondary malignant neoplasm of liver and intrahepatic bile duct
- C78.8Secondary malignant neoplasm of other and unspecified digestive organsnon-billable header
Related codes in this category
- C76Malignant neoplasm of other and ill-defined sitesnon-billable header
- C77Secondary and unspecified malignant neoplasm of lymph nodesnon-billable header
- C79Secondary malignant neoplasm of other and unspecified sitesnon-billable header
- C80Malignant neoplasm without specification of sitenon-billable header
- C78Secondary malignant neoplasm of respiratory and digestive organsnon-billable header