C84.70
BillableAnaplastic large cell lymphoma, ALK-negative, unspecified site
HCC Category Mapping
V28HCC 19 — Lymphoma and Other Cancers
0.105V24HCC 10 — Lymphoma and Other Cancers
0.675ESRDHCC 10 — Lymphoma and Other Cancers
0.000RxHCCHCC 21 — Hodgkin Lymphoma and Other Cancers
0.000What This Code Means
A type of aggressive lymphoma (cancer of immune cells) that lacks a specific genetic marker (ALK-negative) and the exact location of the cancer is not specified.
Coding Tips
- •This is an unspecified site code; attempt to obtain more specific anatomical location from the pathology report or clinical documentation
- •ALK-negative status should be confirmed through immunohistochemistry or molecular testing documented in the medical record
Clinical Significance
Anaplastic large cell lymphoma, ALK-negative, unspecified site is an aggressive T-cell lymphoma lacking the ALK fusion protein. ALK-negative ALCL has a significantly worse prognosis than ALK-positive disease, with 5-year survival rates of approximately 40-50%. This distinction is critical because it affects treatment decisions and clinical trial eligibility. The unspecified site indicates the anatomical location was not documented.
Documentation Requirements
- ✓Pathology confirming ALCL with hallmark cells and CD30 positivity
- ✓ALK-negative status confirmed by immunohistochemistry or molecular testing
- ✓T-cell immunophenotype confirmed
- ✓Clinical staging documentation
- ✓Provider should be queried for specific site of involvement to enable more specific coding
Commonly Confused Codes
C84.60 — ALCL ALK-positive, unspecified site: ALK-positive disease has better prognosis; critical to differentiate through testingC84.40 — PTCL-NOS, unspecified site: PTCL-NOS is a diagnosis of exclusion; ALCL has specific morphologic criteriaC84.90 — Mature T/NK-cell lymphoma, unspecified: More general category; use ALCL code when pathology confirms this specific subtypeC84.7A — ALCL ALK-negative, breast: If breast involvement is documented, use the specific breast code
Code Hierarchy
└C84Mature T/NK-cell lymphomas└C84.7Anaplastic large cell lymphoma, ALK-negative└C84.70Anaplastic large cell lymphoma, ALK-negative, unspecified site
└C84.70Anaplastic large cell lymphoma, ALK-negative, unspecified site