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ICD10BillableValid for clinical use

ICD-10 Code C09.9: Malignant neoplasm of tonsil, unspecified

C09.9 is a billable ICD-10 diagnosis code used to classify Malignant neoplasm of tonsil, unspecified in medical records and claims. You may see this code in hospital records, discharge summaries, insurance claims, encounter documentation, referrals, or other healthcare billing and coding records. ICD-10 codes are diagnosis classification codes used in healthcare records, reporting, coding workflows, and billing support. This code sits within the broader ICD-10 area for Neoplasms (C00-D49).

What is this code?

ICD-10 codes are diagnosis classification codes used in healthcare records, reporting, coding workflows, and billing support. This code sits within the broader ICD-10 area for Neoplasms (C00-D49).

When is it used?

  • May be used when a clinician documents malignant neoplasm of tonsil, unspecified in a patient's medical record.
  • May appear in hospital records, claims, referrals, and clinical documentation.
  • This code can be used as a clinically usable diagnosis entry in standardized coding workflows.

What it does not mean

  • A code alone does not explain severity, treatment plan, or outcome.
  • A medical code should not be treated as a substitute for a doctor's diagnosis or advice.

Code hierarchy

chapter
2Neoplasms (C00-D49)
block
C00-C96Malignant neoplasms
block
C00-C75Malignant neoplasms, stated or presumed to be primary (of specified sites), and certain specified histologies, except neuroendocrine, and of lymphoid, hematopoietic and related tissue
block
C00-C14Malignant neoplasms of lip, oral cavity and pharynx
category
C09Malignant neoplasm of tonsil
currentC09

Official coding notes

Inclusion terms
  • Malignant neoplasm of tonsil NOS
  • Malignant neoplasm of faucial tonsils
  • Malignant neoplasm of palatine tonsils

Where you may see this code

You may see this code in hospital records, discharge summaries, insurance claims, encounter documentation, referrals, or other healthcare billing and coding records.

Related specialists

OncologistGeneral Physician

Coverage-related procedures and services

CPT 81479high
UNLISTED MOLECULAR PATHOLOGY PROCEDURE
Source: CMS coverage guidance
CPT 81445high
SOLID ORGAN NEOPLASM, GENOMIC SEQUENCE ANALYSIS PANEL, 5-50 GENES, INTERROGATION FOR SEQUENCE VARIANTS AND COPY NUMBER VARIANTS OR REARRANGEMENTS, IF PERFORMED; DNA ANALYSIS OR COMBINED DNA AND RNA ANALYSIS
Source: CMS coverage guidance
CPT 0543Uhigh
ONCOLOGY (SOLID TUMOR), NEXT-GENERATION SEQUENCING OF DNA FROM FORMALIN-FIXED PARAFFIN-EMBEDDED (FFPE) TISSUE OF 517 GENES, INTERROGATION FOR SINGLE-NUCLEOTIDE VARIANTS, MULTI-NUCLEOTIDE VARIANTS, INSERTIONS AND DELETIONS FROM DNA, FUSIONS IN 24 GENES AND SPLICE VARIANTS IN 1 GENE FROM RNA, AND TUMOR MUTATION BURDEN
Source: CMS coverage guidance
CPT 0329Uhigh
ONCOLOGY (NEOPLASIA), EXOME AND TRANSCRIPTOME SEQUENCE ANALYSIS FOR SEQUENCE VARIANTS, GENE COPY NUMBER AMPLIFICATIONS AND DELETIONS, GENE REARRANGEMENTS, MICROSATELLITE INSTABILITY AND TUMOR MUTATIONAL BURDEN UTILIZING DNA AND RNA FROM TUMOR WITH DNA FROM NORMAL BLOOD OR SALIVA FOR SUBTRACTION, REPORT OF CLINICALLY SIGNIFICANT MUTATION(S) WITH THERAPY ASSOCIATIONS
Source: CMS coverage guidance
CPT 0340Uhigh
ONCOLOGY (PAN-CANCER), ANALYSIS OF MINIMAL RESIDUAL DISEASE (MRD) FROM PLASMA, WITH ASSAYS PERSONALIZED TO EACH PATIENT BASED ON PRIOR NEXT-GENERATION SEQUENCING OF THE PATIENT'S TUMOR AND GERMLINE DNA, REPORTED AS ABSENCE OR PRESENCE OF MRD, WITH DISEASE-BURDEN CORRELATION, IF APPROPRIATE
Source: CMS coverage guidance
CPT 0422Uhigh
ONCOLOGY (PAN-SOLID TUMOR), ANALYSIS OF DNA BIOMARKER RESPONSE TO ANTI-CANCER THERAPY USING CELL-FREE CIRCULATING DNA, BIOMARKER COMPARISON TO A PREVIOUS BASELINE PRE-TREATMENT CELL-FREE CIRCULATING DNA ANALYSIS USING NEXT-GENERATION SEQUENCING, ALGORITHM REPORTED AS A QUANTITATIVE CHANGE FROM BASELINE, INCLUDING SPECIFIC ALTERATIONS, IF APPROPRIATE
Source: CMS coverage guidance

Coding guidelines

Compatibility

Legacy and official ICD code match exactly.
Legacy codes
C09.9

Common synonyms

Malignant neoplasm of tonsil, unspecifiedMalignant neoplasm of tonsil

Frequently asked questions

Code details

CodeC09.9
SystemICD10
Display nameMalignant neoplasm of tonsil, unspecified
ChapterNeoplasms (C00-D49)
BlockMalignant neoplasms of lip, oral cavity and pharynx

Flags

BillableYes
Valid clinical useYes

Source

SourceICD-10
Version2026-annual
Releaseannual
Year2026

About this content

This page is prepared by HealthAssure's clinical team using official coding standards from ICD-10. AI tools assist with drafting explanations, which are then reviewed and verified by healthcare professionals for accuracy. This content is for informational purposes and does not replace professional medical advice. Meet our team.