C25.0
BillableMalignant neoplasm of head of pancreas
HCC Category Mapping
V28HCC 20 — Lung and Other Severe Cancers
0.000V24HCC 9 — Lung and Other Severe Cancers
0.973ESRDHCC 9 — Lung and Other Severe Cancers
0.000RxHCCHCC 20 — Cancer, Liver and Intrahepatic Bile Duct
0.000What This Code Means
Cancer that starts in the head of the pancreas, the wider portion on the right side of the organ that connects to the small intestine.
Coding Tips
Clinical Significance
Malignant neoplasm of the head of the pancreas is the most common location for pancreatic cancer, accounting for approximately 60-70% of all pancreatic adenocarcinomas. Pancreatic head tumors often present with painless jaundice due to bile duct compression, which may allow for slightly earlier detection compared to body and tail tumors. The standard surgical treatment is pancreaticoduodenectomy (Whipple procedure), one of the most complex and resource-intensive operations in abdominal surgery.
Documentation Requirements
- ✓Documentation confirming head of pancreas as the primary tumor location
- ✓Histological type (ductal adenocarcinoma is most common; also neuroendocrine, acinar cell, etc.)
- ✓Stage of disease including vascular involvement (superior mesenteric artery, portal vein)
- ✓Resectability assessment (resectable, borderline resectable, or locally advanced/unresectable)
- ✓Cancer antigen 19-9 and other tumor marker levels
Commonly Confused Codes
C24.1 — Ampulla of Vater: periampullary cancers include both pancreatic head and ampullary tumors; the primary site determines the code and prognosisC25.1 — Body of pancreas: the body is the middle segment; head is the widest portion adjacent to the duodenumC25.9 — Pancreas, unspecified: use C25.0 when head location is documentedC17.0 — Duodenum: pancreatic head tumors may invade the duodenum; code the primary site
Code Hierarchy
└C25Malignant neoplasm of pancreas└C25.0Malignant neoplasm of head of pancreas
└C25.0Malignant neoplasm of head of pancreas