Is C77.3 a billable ICD-10-CM code?

Yes. C77.3 is a billable, specific ICD-10-CM code and is valid for submission on a claim.

Where does C77.3 sit in the tabular list?

Neoplasms (C00-D49), in the block Malignant neoplasms of ill-defined, other secondary and unspecified sites (C76-C80).

What cannot be coded together with C77.3?

C77.3 carries Excludes1 notes, which means the conditions they list can never be coded together with it on the same encounter. Some are written on the categories above C77.3 (C77) and apply to it just the same.

C77.3

C77.3 — Secondary and unspecified malignant neoplasm of axilla and upper limb lymph nodes

Billable / specific codeICD-10-CMunspecified

C77.3 is a billable, specific ICD-10-CM code for secondary and unspecified malignant neoplasm of axilla and upper limb lymph nodes. It is valid for submission on a claim.

Inclusion terms

Alternative wordings a physician may use in the chart for this same code.

Secondary and unspecified malignant neoplasm of pectoral lymph nodes

Excludes1 inherited from the categories above C77.3

These are not written on C77.3, but they bind it: a note on a category applies to every code beneath it. Billing C77.3 with anything listed here is a denial.

Written on C77 — Secondary and unspecified malignant neoplasm of lymph nodes

malignant neoplasm of lymph nodes, specified as primary (C81-C86, C88, C96.-)
mesentery metastasis of carcinoid tumor (C7B.04)
secondary carcinoid tumors of distant lymph nodes (C7B.01)

Risk adjustment

C77.3 risk-adjusts. Under the CMS-HCC V28 model it maps to this category:

HCC 20 Lung and Other Severe Cancers1.136 RAF

Coefficient shown for the Community Non-dual Aged segment. A higher HCC in the same hierarchy will suppress this one, so capturing it does not always add score.

Medicare coverage

C77.3 is named in 45 Medicare coverage policies — 45 listing it as supporting medical necessity. Which of them applies to you depends on your Medicare contractor, and coverage genuinely differs by state.

A52480Oral Antiemetic Drugs (Replacement for Intravenous Antiemetics) - Policy Article
A52986Billing and Coding: Biomarkers for Oncology
A53101Billing and Coding: MolDX: bioTheranostics Cancer TYPE ID® Update
A54188Billing and Coding: MolDX: bioTheranostics Cancer TYPE ID®

Code history

C77.3 has not changed since FY2024 — no addition, revision or deletion across the three most recent ICD-10-CM releases.

Related codes at this level

Codes that share C77. If C77.3 is not quite right, the correct code is usually one of these.

Questions about C77.3

Is C77.3 a billable ICD-10-CM code?: Yes. C77.3 is a billable, specific ICD-10-CM code and is valid for submission on a claim.
Where does C77.3 sit in the tabular list?: Neoplasms (C00-D49), in the block Malignant neoplasms of ill-defined, other secondary and unspecified sites (C76-C80).
What cannot be coded together with C77.3?: C77.3 carries Excludes1 notes, which means the conditions they list can never be coded together with it on the same encounter. Some are written on the categories above C77.3 (C77) and apply to it just the same.