C52
BillableMalignant neoplasm of vagina
HCC Category Mapping
V28HCC 22 — Colorectal, Bladder, and Other Cancers
0.000V24HCC 11 — Colorectal, Bladder, and Other Cancers
0.306ESRDHCC 11 — Colorectal, Bladder, and Other Cancers
0.000What This Code Means
Cancer that starts in the vagina, the muscular tube connecting the uterus to the external genitalia.
Coding Tips
- •Squamous cell carcinoma is the most common histological type; document this when present
- •Distinguish vaginal cancer from cervical cancer, as treatment and prognosis differ significantly
Clinical Significance
Primary vaginal cancer is rare, accounting for only 1-2% of gynecological malignancies. Most malignancies found in the vagina are metastatic from other sites (cervix, endometrium, vulva). Squamous cell carcinoma is the most common histological type, and there is a strong association with Human Papillomavirus infection and prior cervical cancer.
Documentation Requirements
- ✓Confirmation of primary vaginal malignancy (not metastatic from another site)
- ✓Histological type (squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, melanoma, sarcoma)
- ✓Tumor location within the vagina (upper, middle, lower third) for staging
- ✓FIGO staging
- ✓Depth of invasion
- ✓Extension to adjacent structures (cervix, vulva, bladder, rectum)
- ✓Human Papillomavirus status if documented
- ✓Prior history of cervical cancer or hysterectomy
Excludes 1 — Do NOT code together
- carcinoma in situ of vagina (D07.2)
Commonly Confused Codes
C53.9 — Malignant neoplasm of cervix uteri; cervical cancer extending into the vagina should be coded as cervical primary, not vaginal primaryC51.9 — Malignant neoplasm of vulva; lower vaginal tumors may extend to the vulva — determine primary siteC79.82 — Secondary malignant neoplasm of genital organs; use when vaginal involvement is metastatic from another primaryD07.2 — Carcinoma in situ of vagina; preinvasive disease, not invasive malignancy
Code Hierarchy
└C52Malignant neoplasm of vagina
└C52Malignant neoplasm of vagina