ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code C78.02 - Secondary malignant neoplasm of left lung (original) (raw)

ICD List 2025-2026 Edition

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2. ICD-10-CM Codes
3. C00–D49
4. C76-C80
5. C78
6. 2026 ICD-10-CM Code C78.02

Secondary malignant neoplasm of left lung

ICD-10-CM Code:

C78.02

ICD-10 Code for:

Secondary malignant neoplasm of left lung

Is Billable?

Yes - Valid for Submission

Chronic Condition Indicator: [1]

Chronic

Code Navigator:

C78.02 is a billable diagnosis code used to specify a medical diagnosis of secondary malignant neoplasm of left lung. The code is valid during the current fiscal year for the submission of HIPAA-covered transactions from October 01, 2025 through September 30, 2026.

The following anatomical sites found in the Table of Neoplasms reference the parent code C78.0 of the current diagnosis code given the correct histological behavior: Neoplasm, neoplastic bronchiogenic, bronchogenic (lung) ; Neoplasm, neoplastic bronchiole ; Neoplasm, neoplastic bronchus ; Neoplasm, neoplastic bronchus carina ; Neoplasm, neoplastic bronchus lower lobe of lung ; Neoplasm, neoplastic bronchus main ; Neoplasm, neoplastic bronchus middle lobe of lung ; etc

1. Code Information
2. Approximate Synonyms
3. Clinical Classification
4. Tabular List of Diseases and Injuries
5. Diagnostic Related Groups Mapping
6. Convert to ICD-9 Code
7. Table of Neoplasms
8. Patient Education
9. Other Codes Used Similar Conditions
10. Code History

• Neoplasms
  C00–D49
  • Malignant neoplasms of ill-defined, other secondary and unspecified sites
    C76-C80
    * Secondary malignant neoplasm of respiratory and digestive organs
    C78

The following list of clinical terms are approximate synonyms, alternative descriptions, or common phrases that might be used by patients, healthcare providers, or medical coders to describe the same condition. These synonyms and related diagnosis terms are often used when searching for an ICD-10 code, especially when the exact medical terminology is unclear. Whether you're looking for lay terms, similar diagnosis names, or common language alternatives, this list can help guide you to the correct ICD-10 classification.

• Adenocarcinoma of left lung
• Adenocarcinoma of left lung
• Adenocarcinoma of right lung
• Bilateral metastatic giant cell carcinoma to lungs
• Bilateral metastatic large cell carcinoma to lungs
• Bilateral metastatic small cell carcinoma to lungs
• Malignant carcinoid tumor of left lung
• Malignant neoplasm of lower lobe bronchus
• Malignant neoplasm of lower lobe bronchus
• Malignant neoplasm of upper lobe bronchus
• Malignant neoplasm of upper lobe bronchus
• Metastatic adenocarcinoma to bilateral lungs
• Metastatic adenocarcinoma to left lung
• Metastatic adenocarcinoma to left lung
• Metastatic adenocarcinoma to right lung
• Metastatic giant cell carcinoma to left lung
• Metastatic giant cell carcinoma to left lung
• Metastatic giant cell carcinoma to lung
• Metastatic giant cell carcinoma to lung
• Metastatic giant cell carcinoma to right lung
• Metastatic large cell carcinoma to left lung
• Metastatic large cell carcinoma to left lung
• Metastatic large cell carcinoma to lung
• Metastatic large cell carcinoma to lung
• Metastatic large cell carcinoma to right lung
• Metastatic malignant neoplasm to bilateral lungs
• Metastatic malignant neoplasm to bilateral lungs
• Metastatic malignant neoplasm to bilateral lungs
• Metastatic malignant neoplasm to bronchus of left lower lobe
• Metastatic malignant neoplasm to bronchus of left lower lobe
• Metastatic malignant neoplasm to bronchus of left upper lobe
• Metastatic malignant neoplasm to bronchus of left upper lobe
• Metastatic malignant neoplasm to left lower lobe of lung
• Metastatic malignant neoplasm to left lower lobe of lung
• Metastatic malignant neoplasm to left lung
• Metastatic malignant neoplasm to left upper lobe of lung
• Metastatic malignant neoplasm to left upper lobe of lung
• Metastatic small cell carcinoma to left lung
• Metastatic small cell carcinoma to left lung
• Metastatic small cell carcinoma to right lung
• Metastatic small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma
• Metastatic small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma
• Metastatic squamous cell carcinoma to bilateral lungs
• Metastatic squamous cell carcinoma to bronchus
• Metastatic squamous cell carcinoma to bronchus
• Metastatic squamous cell carcinoma to bronchus of left lower lobe
• Metastatic squamous cell carcinoma to bronchus of left upper lobe
• Metastatic squamous cell carcinoma to left lung
• Metastatic squamous cell carcinoma to left lung
• Metastatic squamous cell carcinoma to left lung
• Metastatic squamous cell carcinoma to left lung
• Metastatic squamous cell carcinoma to lung
• Metastatic squamous cell carcinoma to lung
• Metastatic squamous cell carcinoma to lung
• Metastatic squamous cell carcinoma to lung
• Metastatic squamous cell carcinoma to right lung
• Metastatic well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumor
• Metastatic well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumor to left lung
• Metastatic well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumor to lung
• Neoplasm of bronchus of left lower lobe
• Neoplasm of bronchus of left lower lobe
• Neoplasm of bronchus of left upper lobe
• Neoplasm of bronchus of left upper lobe
• Squamous cell carcinoma of bronchus in left lower lobe
• Squamous cell carcinoma of bronchus in left upper lobe

Clinical Classifications group individual ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes into broader, clinically meaningful categories. These categories help simplify complex data by organizing related conditions under common clinical themes.

They are especially useful for data analysis, reporting, and clinical decision-making. Even when diagnosis codes differ, similar conditions can be grouped together based on their clinical relevance. Each category is assigned a unique CCSR code that represents a specific clinical concept, often tied to a body system or medical specialty.

CCSR Code: NEO070

Inpatient Default: Y - Yes, default inpatient assignment for principal diagnosis or first-listed diagnosis.

Outpatient Default: Y - Yes, default outpatient assignment for principal diagnosis or first-listed diagnosis.

Below are the ICD-9 codes that most closely match this ICD-10 code, based on the General Equivalence Mappings (GEMs). This ICD-10 to ICD-9 crosswalk tool is helpful for coders who need to reference legacy diagnosis codes for audits, historical claims, or approximate code comparisons.

ICD-9-CM: 197.0

Approximate Flag - The approximate mapping means this ICD-10 code does not have an exact ICD-9 equivalent. The matched code is the closest available option, but it may not fully capture the original diagnosis or clinical intent.

The parent code C78.0 of the current diagnosis code is referenced in the table of neoplasms by anatomical site. For each site there are six possible code numbers according to whether the neoplasm in question is malignant, benign, in situ, of uncertain behavior, or of unspecified nature. The description of the neoplasm will often indicate which of the six columns is appropriate.

Where such descriptors are not present, the remainder of the Index should be consulted where guidance is given to the appropriate column for each morphological (histological) variety listed. However, the guidance in the Index can be overridden if one of the descriptors mentioned above is present.

Filter table of neoplasms:

Lung Cancer

What is lung cancer?

Lung cancer is cancer that forms in tissues of the lung, usually in the cells that line the air passages. It is the leading cause of cancer death in both men and women.

There are two main types: small cell lung cancer and non-small cell lung cancer. These two types grow differently and are treated differently. Non-small cell lung cancer is the more common type.

Who is more likely to develop lung cancer?

Anyone can develop lung cancer, but certain factors raise your risk of getting it:

• Smoking. This is the most important risk factor for lung cancer. Tobacco smoking causes about 9 out of 10 cases of lung cancer in men and about 8 out of 10 cases of lung cancer in women. The more years you smoke and the more cigarettes you smoke each day, the more your risk goes up. Your risk is also greater if you smoke a lot and drink alcohol every day or take beta carotene supplements. If you have quit smoking, your risk will be lower than if you had kept smoking. But you will still have a higher risk than people who never smoked.
• Secondhand smoke, which is the combination of the smoke that comes from a cigarette and the smoke breathed out by a smoker. When you breathe in secondhand smoke, you are exposed to the same cancer-causing agents as smokers, although in smaller amounts.
• A family history of lung cancer.
• Being exposed to asbestos, arsenic, chromium, beryllium, nickel, soot, or tar in the workplace.
• Being exposed to radiation, for example from:
  • Radiation therapy to the breast or chest
  • Radon in the home or workplace
  • Certain imaging tests such as CT scans
• HIV infection. Your risk is higher if you have HIV. However, smoking rates are higher in people who have HIV, so it's not clear whether the increased risk is from the HIV infection or from smoking.
• Air pollution. Studies show that living in areas with higher levels of air pollution increases your risk of lung cancer.

What are the symptoms of lung cancer?

Lung cancer may not cause any signs or symptoms until the cancer is advanced. Sometimes the cancer is found during a chest x-ray done for another condition.

The symptoms of lung cancer may include:

• Chest pain or discomfort
• A cough that doesn't go away or gets worse over time
• Coughing up blood
• Trouble breathing
• Wheezing
• Hoarseness
• Loss of appetite
• Weight loss for no known reason
• Feeling very tired
• Trouble swallowing
• Swelling in the face and/or veins in the neck

How is lung cancer diagnosed?

To find out if you have lung cancer, your health care provider:

• Will take your medical history, which includes asking about your symptoms
• Will ask about your family history
• Will do a physical exam
• May order certain imaging tests, such as a chest x-ray or chest CT scan
• May order lab tests, including tests of your blood and sputum
• May do a procedure to take a biopsy of the lung

If you do have lung cancer, your provider will do other tests to find out if it has spread through the lungs, lymph nodes, and the rest of the body. This is called staging. Knowing the type and stage of lung cancer you have helps your provider decide what kind of treatment you need.

If you have small-cell lung cancer, your provider may also do genetic testing to look for certain gene changes (variants) in your cancer cells. The results of the testing may help guide treatment.

What are the treatments for lung cancer?

For most patients with lung cancer, current treatments do not cure the cancer.

Your treatment will depend on which type of lung cancer you have, how far it has spread, your overall health, and other factors. You may get more than one type of treatment.

The treatments for small cell lung cancer may include:

• Surgery.
• Chemotherapy.
• Radiation therapy.
• Immunotherapy.
• Laser therapy, which uses a laser beam to kill cancer cells.
• Endoscopic stent placement. An endoscope is a thin, tube-like instrument used to look at tissues inside the body. It may be used to put in a device called a stent. The stent helps to open an airway that has been blocked by abnormal tissue.

The treatments for non-small cell lung cancer may include:

• Surgery.
• Radiation therapy.
• Chemotherapy.
• Targeted therapy, which uses drugs or other substances that attack specific cancer cells with less harm to normal cells.
• Immunotherapy.
• Laser therapy.
• Photodynamic therapy (PDT), which uses a medicine and a certain type of laser light to kill cancer cells.
• Cryosurgery, which uses an instrument to freeze and destroy abnormal tissue.
• Electrocautery, a treatment that uses a probe or needle heated by an electric current to destroy abnormal tissue.

Can lung cancer be prevented?

Avoiding the risk factors may help prevent lung cancer. For example, you can:

• Quit smoking. And if you don't smoke, don't start.
• Lower your exposure to hazardous substances at work.
• Lower your exposure to radon. Radon tests can show whether your home has high levels of radon. You can buy a test kit yourself or hire a professional to do the test.

NIH: National Cancer Institute

[Learn More in MedlinePlus]

Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Summary

Learn about non-small cell lung cancer risk factors, symptoms, tests to diagnose, factors affecting prognosis, staging, and treatment.
[Learn More in MedlinePlus]

• FY 2026 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2025 through 9/30/2026

• FY 2025 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2024 through 9/30/2025

• FY 2024 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2023 through 9/30/2024

• FY 2023 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2022 through 9/30/2023

• FY 2022 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2021 through 9/30/2022

• FY 2021 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2020 through 9/30/2021

• FY 2020 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2019 through 9/30/2020

• FY 2019 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2018 through 9/30/2019

• FY 2018 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2017 through 9/30/2018

• FY 2017 - No Change, effective from 10/1/2016 through 9/30/2017

• FY 2016 - New Code, effective from 10/1/2015 through 9/30/2016. This was the first year ICD-10-CM was implemented into the HIPAA code set.

• Previous Code: C78.01

• Parent Code: C78.0

• Next Code: C78.1