C53.0
BillableMalignant neoplasm of endocervix
Last updated: FY2026 ICD-10-CM (Oct 1, 2025 – Sep 30, 2026) | CMS-HCC V28 (100% phase-in, PY2026)
Is C53.0 an HCC code?
Yes. C53.0 maps to Colorectal, Bladder, and Other Cancers under the CMS-HCC V28 risk adjustment model (and Colorectal, Bladder, and Other Cancers under V24).
HCC Category Mapping
RAF weights shown are the community, non-dual, aged base weights from the CMS risk adjustment model file. Actual per-patient RAF contribution depends on member segment, interactions, and the model year used by the payer. V28 is the CMS-HCC model phased in over payment years 2024–2026; V24 remains in use during the transition and for historical data.
MEAT Criteria for C53.0
For C53.0to count as a valid HCC diagnosis in a given encounter, the provider's documentation must show MEAT: Monitor, Evaluate, Assess, or Treat. A diagnosis from a prior year does not carry forward automatically — it has to be re-documented and supported each calendar year.
- MMonitor: signs, symptoms, disease progression, or lab trending documented in the note
- EEvaluate: test results, medication response, or physical findings reviewed by the provider
- AAssess: explicit mention in the assessment or plan with acknowledgment of status
- TTreat: medication, referral, procedure, therapy, or counseling tied to the diagnosis
Only one of M/E/A/T is required to support the code, but the documentation must be specific enough to show that the provider actually addressed C53.0 during that encounter — not just copy-forwarded from a problem list.
What This Code Means
C53.0 is the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for malignant neoplasm of endocervix. Cancer that develops in the endocervix, the inner lining of the cervix that opens into the uterus. C53.0 sits in the ICD-10-CM chapter for neoplasms (c00-d49), within the section covering malignant neoplasms of female genital organs (c51-c58).
Under the CMS-HCC V28 risk adjustment model, C53.0 maps to Colorectal, Bladder, and Other Cancers (HCC 22) with a community, non-dual, aged base RAF weight of 0.000. Under the older V24 model, C53.0 mapped to the same category but with a base RAF weight of 0.306 — V28 recalibrated weights across the entire model. V28 is the CMS-HCC risk adjustment model that reached 100% phase-in for payment year 2026, replacing V24 which was used during the PY2024–PY2025 transition.
Adenocarcinoma is the most common histology for endocervical tumors; document the specific type. Because C53.0 maps to a payment HCC, the provider's documentation must satisfy MEAT criteria (Monitor, Evaluate, Assess, or Treat) for the encounter to count toward the patient's Medicare Advantage risk adjustment score. When documentation is ambiguous, coders should issue a provider query rather than assume the highest-specificity variant.
HCC Buddy maintains structured V28 and V24 mapping, RAF weights, and MEAT documentation criteria for C53.0 sourced directly from the CMS-HCC risk adjustment model files and the CMS ICD-10-CM code set.
Coding Tips
- •Adenocarcinoma is the most common histology for endocervical tumors; document the specific type
- •Ensure distinction from exocervical cancer as treatment approaches may differ
Clinical Significance
Malignant neoplasm of the endocervix involves the inner canal of the cervix that opens into the uterine cavity. Endocervical cancers are predominantly adenocarcinomas, which have been increasing in incidence while squamous cell cervical cancers have declined due to screening. Endocervical adenocarcinoma may be more difficult to detect on Pap smear than exocervical squamous lesions.
Documentation Requirements
- ✓Specific site confirmed as endocervix (inner cervical canal)
- ✓Histological type (adenocarcinoma most common at this site)
- ✓FIGO staging
- ✓Depth of stromal invasion
- ✓Lymph node status (pelvic and para-aortic)
- ✓Human Papillomavirus status
- ✓Extension beyond the cervix documented if applicable
Commonly Confused Codes
- •C53.1 — Malignant neoplasm of exocervix; outer cervical surface versus inner canal — different anatomical locations with different predominant histologies
- •C53.8 — Overlapping sites of cervix; use when tumor involves both endocervix and exocervix
- •C53.9 — Cervix uteri, unspecified; less specific when endocervical location is documented
- •C54.1 — Malignant neoplasm of endometrium; endocervical cancer can extend superiorly into the endometrial cavity — determine primary site