C43.0
BillableMalignant melanoma of lip
HCC Category Mapping
V28HCC 23 — Melanoma and Other Skin Cancers
0.251V24HCC 12 — Breast, Prostate, and Other Cancers and Tumors
0.150ESRDHCC 12 — Breast, Prostate, and Other Cancers and Tumors
0.000RxHCCHCC 22 — Cancer, Other Specified Sites
0.000What This Code Means
A malignant (cancerous) tumor of the skin on the lip that arises from melanocytes, the cells that produce skin pigment. This is a serious form of skin cancer that requires prompt treatment.
Coding Tips
- •Verify the specific lip location (upper or lower) in the documentation, as this may affect staging and treatment planning
- •Ensure this code is not confused with other skin cancers of the lip (such as squamous cell carcinoma) by confirming the histological diagnosis of melanoma in the medical record
Clinical Significance
Malignant melanoma of the lip is an uncommon site for melanoma but carries significant clinical importance due to its visibility and potential for metastasis. Lip melanomas may arise from mucosal or cutaneous surfaces and have different prognostic implications than other skin melanomas. Early detection and wide excision with sentinel lymph node evaluation are standard of care.
Documentation Requirements
- ✓Specific location on the lip (upper vs. lower lip, vermilion border, mucosal vs. cutaneous surface)
- ✓Breslow depth (thickness in millimeters) — the most important prognostic factor
- ✓Clark level of invasion
- ✓Ulceration status (present or absent)
- ✓Mitotic rate
- ✓Sentinel lymph node biopsy results if performed
- ✓AJCC staging (TNM)
Commonly Confused Codes
C00.x — Malignant neoplasm of lip (non-melanoma skin cancer or squamous cell carcinoma of lip); different histologyC43.39 — Malignant melanoma of other parts of face; for melanoma of adjacent facial skin, not lipD03.0 — Melanoma in situ of lip; for non-invasive melanoma confined to the epidermisD22.0 — Melanocytic nevi of lip; benign mole vs. melanoma