2027 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code C77.1Secondary and unspecified malignant neoplasm of intrathoracic lymph nodes

ICD-10-CM Codes›C00–D49›C76-C80›C77

ICD-10-CM C77.1
CMSSource: CMS FY 2027 ICD-10-CM dataset · Effective Oct 1, 2026 – Sep 30, 2027

C77.1 is a billable ICD-10-CM diagnosis code for secondary and unspecified malignant neoplasm of intrathoracic lymph nodes. It is valid on HIPAA claims for fiscal year 2027 (October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027) and groups to MS-DRG 820 through 825, 840 through 842. As a secondary diagnosis, it counts as a complication or comorbidity (CC) and moves an inpatient stay to a higher severity level within its MS-DRG family. It does not count, however, when the principal diagnosis is one of 24 closely related codes. In AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software (CCSR), this diagnosis falls under Secondary malignancies.

For Medicare Advantage risk adjustment, C77.1 maps to CMS-HCC Category 17 (Cancer Metastatic to Lung, Liver, Brain, and Other Organs; Acute Myeloid Leukemia Except Promyelocytic) under the V28 model, adding a risk factor of about 4.209 for a community, non-dual, aged beneficiary in payment year 2027.

Code Identity

ICD-10-CM Code
C77.1
Billable Status
Yes — Valid for Submission
Code Describes
Secondary and unspecified malignant neoplasm of intrathoracic lymph nodes
Short Description
Secondary and unsp malignant neoplasm of intrathorac nodes
Parent Code
Secondary and unspecified malignant neoplasm of lymph nodes

Code Classification

ChapterC00–D49Neoplasms
SectionC76-C80Malignant neoplasms of ill-defined, other secondary and unspecified sites
CategoryC77Secondary and unspecified malignant neoplasm of lymph nodes
This CodeC77.1Secondary and unspecified malignant neoplasm of intrathoracic lymph nodes

Medicare Risk Adjustment (HCC)Billing

C77.1 maps to a payment category in the CMS-HCC model used to risk-adjust Medicare Advantage payments. Weights are the published community factors for payment year 2027.

CMS-HCC V28 Category (Payment Model)
HCC 17— Cancer Metastatic to Lung, Liver, Brain, and Other Organs; Acute Myeloid Leukemia Except Promyelocytic
Payment HCC · PY 2027 one of 78 ICD-10-CM codes in this category
Risk Adjustment Factor (RAF) Weight
+4.209
community, non-dual, aged · ranges 1.952–4.235 across segments
Hierarchy
Supersedes HCC 18, HCC 19, HCC 20, HCC 21, HCC 22, and HCC 23
less severe related categories are not paid alongside HCC 17
Prior Model (CMS-HCC V24)
HCC 8
V24 retired V28 pays 100% of MA risk scores since PY 2026
Other CMS Models
PACE (CMS-HCC V22): HCC 8 · ESRD (V21): HCC 8 · ESRD (V24): HCC 8
ESRD V21 weights: 0.295 dialysis, 1.289–2.627 functioning graft · ESRD V24 weights: 0.353 dialysis, 1.571–3.226 functioning graft
Part D (RxHCC)
RxHCC 20 — Lung, Kidney, and Other Cancers; Secondary Cancer of Lymph Nodes and Other Sites
also risk-adjusts in the Part D prescription drug model (V08)

Source: CMS Payment Year 2027 risk adjustment mappings and model software. Weights are relative factors, not dollar amounts; a beneficiary's total RAF also includes demographics and interactions. Browse all CMS-HCC categories.

Approximate SynonymsGuidance

Alternate terms and clinical phrases that map to this code.

  • Lymphangitis carcinomatosa
  • Metastasis to lymph node from adenocarcinoma
  • Metastatic adenocarcinoma to thoracic lymph node
  • Metastatic carcinoma to lymph node of thorax
  • Metastatic malignant neoplasm to bronchopulmonary lymph nodes
  • Metastatic malignant neoplasm to intercostal lymph nodes
  • Metastatic malignant neoplasm to intrathoracic lymph nodes
  • Metastatic malignant neoplasm to mediastinal lymph nodes
  • Metastatic malignant neoplasm to tracheobronchial lymph nodes
  • Metastatic squamous cell carcinoma to lymph node
  • Metastatic squamous cell carcinoma to thoracic lymph node
  • Neoplasm of bronchopulmonary lymph nodes
  • Neoplasm of intercostal lymph nodes
  • Neoplasm of lower respiratory tract and mediastinum
  • Neoplasm of mediastinal lymph nodes
  • Neoplasm of tracheobronchial lymph nodes
  • Tumor invasion into mediastinal lymph node with extracapsular extension
  • Tumor invasion into mediastinal lymph node without extracapsular extension

Instructional NotesGuidance

Instructions from the official ICD-10-CM Tabular List that apply to C77.1: its own notes plus those printed at C77 and Chapter 2. A note printed at a category, block or chapter applies to every code under it.

Excludes1

Not coded here: the excluded code is never reported together with this one, unless the two conditions are unrelated.

From C77 Secondary and unspecified malignant neoplasm of lymph nodes applies to 8 codes
  • 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)

Notes

General instructions on how these codes are used.

From Chapter 2 (C00-D49) Neoplasms applies to 1,730 codes
  • 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).

Source: CMS ICD-10-CM Tabular List. How to read instructional notes.

Referenced in Other NotesGuidance

Instructional notes printed at other codes that name C77.1, its category, or a range that includes it.

Applicable To 2

These notes mention C77.1.

  • Z85.8 Personal history of malignant neoplasms of other organs and systems
    Conditions classifiable to C00-C14, C40-C49, C69-C75, C7A.098, C76-C79 names C76-C79, which includes this code
  • Z85.89 Personal history of malignant neoplasm of other organs and systems
    Conditions classifiable to C7A.098, C76, C77-C79 names C77-C79, which includes this code

Excludes2 1

These codes carry an Excludes2 note naming C77.1: its condition is not part of those codes, and both may be reported when the patient has both.

  • Block C81-C96 Malignant neoplasms of lymphoid, hematopoietic and related tissue
    secondary and unspecified neoplasm of lymph nodes (C77.-) names C77.-, which includes this code

Clinical ClassificationClinical

AHRQ’s CCSR groups this code into broader clinical categories.

CCSR NEO070
Secondary malignancies
Default principal diagnosis: inpatient Yes · outpatient Yes

Table of NeoplasmsClinical

Anatomical sites in the Table of Neoplasms that reference this code family.

SiteMalig.
Primary
Malig.
Secondary
Ca
in situ
BenignUncertainUnspec.
lymph, lymphatic channel NEC › gland (secondary) › bronchial–C77.1–D36.0D48.7D49.89
lymph, lymphatic channel NEC › gland (secondary) › bronchopulmonary–C77.1–D36.0D48.7D49.89
lymph, lymphatic channel NEC › gland (secondary) › diaphragmatic–C77.1–D36.0D48.7D49.89
lymph, lymphatic channel NEC › gland (secondary) › epigastric, inferior–C77.1–D36.0D48.7D49.89
lymph, lymphatic channel NEC › gland (secondary) › esophageal–C77.1–D36.0D48.7D49.89
lymph, lymphatic channel NEC › gland (secondary) › hilar (pulmonary)–C77.1–D36.0D48.7D49.89
lymph, lymphatic channel NEC › gland (secondary) › innominate–C77.1–D36.0D48.7D49.89
lymph, lymphatic channel NEC › gland (secondary) › intercostal–C77.1–D36.0D48.7D49.89
lymph, lymphatic channel NEC › gland (secondary) › intrathoracic–C77.1–D36.0D48.7D49.89
lymph, lymphatic channel NEC › gland (secondary) › mediastinal–C77.1–D36.0D48.7D49.89
lymph, lymphatic channel NEC › gland (secondary) › parasternal–C77.1–D36.0D48.7D49.89
lymph, lymphatic channel NEC › gland (secondary) › pulmonary (hiler)–C77.1–D36.0D48.7D49.89
lymph, lymphatic channel NEC › gland (secondary) › thoracic–C77.1–D36.0D48.7D49.89
lymph, lymphatic channel NEC › gland (secondary) › tracheal–C77.1–D36.0D48.7D49.89
lymph, lymphatic channel NEC › gland (secondary) › tracheobronchial–C77.1–D36.0D48.7D49.89

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Convert C77.1 to ICD-9-CMHistory

The closest ICD-9-CM equivalents under the General Equivalence Mappings.

ICD-9-CM
196.1 Mal neo lymph-intrathor
Exact Match The mapping is direct, with no qualifiers.

Code HistoryHistory

FY 2016AddedAdded to the ICD-10-CM code setEffective October 1, 2015, the first year of ICD-10-CM.
FY 2017–2026No changes
FY 2027CurrentCurrent code set, no changesEffective October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.

Questions About C77.1Overview

Is C77.1 (Secondary and unspecified malignant neoplasm of lymph nodes) a billable code?

Yes. This is a billable ICD-10-CM code, specific enough to report secondary and unspecified malignant neoplasm of intrathoracic lymph nodes on HIPAA-covered claims from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.

What MS-DRG does C77.1 group to?

When secondary and unspecified malignant neoplasm of intrathoracic lymph nodes is the principal diagnosis on an inpatient stay, it groups to MS-DRG 841, 821, 822, 825, 842, 824, 840, 820, 823, with relative weights from 0.9948 to 6.2454 depending on complications. Higher weights mean higher Medicare reimbursement.

Is C77.1 a CC or MCC?

CMS lists C77.1 as a CC (complication or comorbidity) for FY 2027. Reported as a secondary diagnosis, it moves the inpatient stay to a higher-weighted DRG within its severity family. It does not count when the principal diagnosis is one of the 24 closely related codes in its exclusion list.

Can C77.1 be reported with C88?

Not as a rule. The Excludes1 note at C77, which applies to C77.1, lists "malignant neoplasm of lymph nodes, specified as primary (C81-C86, C88, C96.-)". An Excludes1 note means the excluded code is never reported together with this one; the only exception is when the two conditions are unrelated to each other (Official Guidelines, Section I.A.12.a).

What is the ICD-9 equivalent of C77.1?

Under the General Equivalence Mappings, secondary and unspecified malignant neoplasm of intrathoracic lymph nodes converts to ICD-9-CM 196.1 (mal neo lymph-intrathor). The mapping is a direct match.

What HCC is C77.1?

C77.1 (secondary and unspecified malignant neoplasm of intrathoracic lymph nodes) maps to CMS-HCC Category 17 (Cancer Metastatic to Lung, Liver, Brain, and Other Organs; Acute Myeloid Leukemia Except Promyelocytic), commonly written as HCC 17, in the CMS-HCC V28 model used for Medicare Advantage risk adjustment in payment year 2027. It mapped to HCC 8 under the retired V24 model. It also maps in the PACE (CMS-HCC V22), ESRD (V21), and ESRD (V24) models. In the Part D prescription drug model it maps to RxHCC 20.

Does C77.1 risk-adjust for Medicare Advantage payment?

Yes. When documented and reported on a Medicare Advantage encounter, C77.1 adds a risk adjustment factor of about 4.209 to the beneficiary's RAF score for a community, non-dual, aged enrollee (published V28 weights range from 1.952 to 4.235 depending on the payment segment). HCC 17 sits at the top of its hierarchy, so no other condition category supersedes it. See the full factor table on the HCC 17 category page.