Which pairing correctly identifies the current coding books for (a) mortality and (b) neoplasms?

• A. ICD-9 for mortality; ICD-O-3 for neoplasms
• B. ICD-9-CM for mortality; ICD-10 for neoplasms
• C. ICD-10 for mortality; ICD-O-3 for neoplasms
• D. ICD-10 for mortality; ICD-O-2 for neoplasms

Answer: (C)

Mortality data are coded with ICD-10-CM, while neoplasms are coded with ICD-O-3. ICD-10-CM is the current standard for diagnosing causes of death on death certificates and in medical records, whereas ICD-O-3 is specialized for oncology, providing separate codes for tumor site (topography) and tumor morphology. Older pairings using ICD-9-CM for mortality or ICD-O-2 for neoplasms are outdated, so the combination of ICD-10-CM (often referred to simply as ICD-10 in this context) for mortality and ICD-O-3 for neoplasms reflects current practice.