C78.89
Secondary malignant neoplasm of other digestive organs
C78.89 (also written C7889) is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for secondary malignant neoplasm of other digestive organs. It is part of the FY2027 code set, effective October 1, 2026. It is one of the 15 codes in category C78 (Secondary malignant neoplasm of respiratory and digestive organs). Its coding notes include a Code also instruction, 2 Excludes1 entries and 1 Excludes2 entry.
Guidelines tip
From the FY2027 Official Guidelines. ICD10Ref adds no rules of its own.
When treatment is directed only at the metastatic site, the secondary site is first-listed and the primary malignancy is an additional code.
Code also
Two codes may be needed to describe the condition. This note gives no sequencing order.
- exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (K86.81)
Excludes1
Not coded here. The listed conditions generally should not be reported together.
Excludes2
Not included here. Both codes may be reported if the patient has both conditions.
Care settings
How CMS programs treat this code. These are CMS claim edits and list entries, not coverage or eligibility rules.
Home Health Primary
Accepted as the primary (principal) diagnosis on a home health claim. The Home Health Grouper assigns it to the MMTA - Infectious Disease, Neoplasms, and Blood-Forming Diseases clinical group.
Source: CMS Home Health Grouper Software v07.2.26, effective October 1, 2026Hospital CC
Counts as a complication or comorbidity (CC) when reported as a secondary diagnosis on an inpatient claim. It does not count when the principal diagnosis is one of the 27 codes in its exclusion list. Some MS-DRGs also ignore a CC or MCC that defines the DRG.
Source: CMS MS-DRG Definitions Manual v44, effective October 1, 2026, Appendix CIPF Comorbidity
On the CMS IPF comorbidity list.
| Comorbidity category | Factor |
|---|---|
| Oncology Treatment | 1.44 |
Notes
Also from chapter/block level (8 notes)
- Functional activity
- All neoplasms are classified in this chapter, whether they are functionally active or not. An additional code from Chapter 4 may be used, to identify functional activity associated with any neoplasm.
- Morphology [Histology]
- Chapter 2 classifies neoplasms primarily by site (topography), with broad groupings for behavior, malignant, in situ, benign, etc. The Table of Neoplasms should be used to identify the correct topography code. In a few cases, such as for malignant melanoma and certain neuroendocrine tumors, the morphology (histologic type) is included in the category and codes.
- Primary malignant neoplasms overlapping site boundaries
- A primary malignant neoplasm that overlaps two or more contiguous (next to each other) sites should be classified to the subcategory/code .8 ('overlapping lesion'), unless the combination is specifically indexed elsewhere. For multiple neoplasms of the same site that are not contiguous, such as tumors in different quadrants of the same breast, codes for each site should be assigned.
- Malignant neoplasm of ectopic tissue
- Malignant neoplasms of ectopic tissue are to be coded to the site mentioned, e.g., ectopic pancreatic malignant neoplasms are coded to pancreas, unspecified (C25.9).