2024 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code Z85.038

Personal history of other malignant neoplasm of large intestine

ICD-10-CM Code:
Z85.038
ICD-10 Code for:
Personal history of malignant neoplasm of large intestine
Is Billable?
Yes - Valid for Submission
Code Navigator:

Code Classification

  • Factors influencing health status and contact with health services
    (Z00–Z99)
    • Persons with potential health hazards related to family and personal history and certain conditions influencing health status
      (Z77-Z99)
      • Personal history of malignant neoplasm
        (Z85)

Z85.038 is a billable diagnosis code used to specify a medical diagnosis of personal history of other malignant neoplasm of large intestine. The code is valid during the current fiscal year for the submission of HIPAA-covered transactions from October 01, 2023 through September 30, 2024. The code is exempt from present on admission (POA) reporting for inpatient admissions to general acute care hospitals.

This code describes a circumstance which influences the patient's health status but not a current illness or injury. The code is unacceptable as a principal diagnosis.

Approximate Synonyms

The following clinical terms are approximate synonyms or lay terms that might be used to identify the correct diagnosis code:

  • History of malignant neoplasm of colon
  • History of malignant neoplasm of colon and/or rectum
  • History of malignant neoplasm of colon and/or rectum

Clinical Classification

Tabular List of Diseases and Injuries

The following annotation back-references are applicable to this diagnosis code. The Tabular List of Diseases and Injuries is a list of ICD-10-CM codes, organized "head to toe" into chapters and sections with coding notes and guidance for inclusions, exclusions, descriptions and more.


Inclusion Terms

Inclusion Terms
These terms are the conditions for which that code is to be used. The terms may be synonyms of the code title, or, in the case of "other specified" codes, the terms are a list of the various conditions assigned to that code. The inclusion terms are not necessarily exhaustive. Additional terms found only in the Alphabetic Index may also be assigned to a code.
  • Conditions classifiable to C18

Index to Diseases and Injuries References

The following annotation back-references for this diagnosis code are found in the injuries and diseases index. The Index to Diseases and Injuries is an alphabetical listing of medical terms, with each term mapped to one or more ICD-10-CM code(s).

Code Edits

The Medicare Code Editor (MCE) detects and reports errors in the coding of claims data. The following ICD-10-CM Code Edits are applicable to this code:

  • Unacceptable principal diagnosis - There are selected codes that describe a circumstance which influences an individual's health status but not a current illness or injury, or codes that are not specific manifestations but may be due to an underlying cause. These codes are considered unacceptable as a principal diagnosis.

Present on Admission (POA)

Z85.038 is exempt from POA reporting - The Present on Admission (POA) indicator is used for diagnosis codes included in claims involving inpatient admissions to general acute care hospitals. POA indicators must be reported to CMS on each claim to facilitate the grouping of diagnoses codes into the proper Diagnostic Related Groups (DRG). CMS publishes a listing of specific diagnosis codes that are exempt from the POA reporting requirement. Review other POA exempt codes here.

CMS POA Indicator Options and Definitions

POA IndicatorReason for CodeCMS will pay the CC/MCC DRG?
YDiagnosis was present at time of inpatient admission.YES
NDiagnosis was not present at time of inpatient admission.NO
UDocumentation insufficient to determine if the condition was present at the time of inpatient admission.NO
WClinically undetermined - unable to clinically determine whether the condition was present at the time of inpatient admission.YES
1Unreported/Not used - Exempt from POA reporting. NO

Convert Z85.038 to ICD-9-CM

  • ICD-9-CM Code: V10.05 - Hx of colonic malignancy
    Approximate Flag - The approximate mapping means there is not an exact match between the ICD-10 and ICD-9 codes and the mapped code is not a precise representation of the original code.

Patient Education


Colorectal Cancer

What is colorectal cancer?

Colorectal cancer is cancer that develops in the tissues of the colon or rectum. Your colon and rectum are part of your digestive system:

  • Your colon is the first and longest part of your large intestine. It absorbs water and some nutrients from foods. It also changes the leftover waste products into stool (poop).
  • Your rectum is the lower part of your large intestine. It's where your body stores stool.

Cancer that begins in the colon is called colon cancer, and cancer that begins in the rectum is called rectal cancer. Cancer that affects either of these parts may also be called colorectal cancer.

What causes colorectal cancer?

Colorectal cancer happens when there are changes in your genetic material (DNA). These changes are also called mutations or variants. Often, the genetic changes that lead to colorectal cancer happen during your lifetime and the exact cause is unknown. But certain genetic changes that raise your risk for colorectal cancer are inherited, meaning that you are born with them.

Besides genetics, other factors, including your lifestyle and the environment, can affect your risk of colorectal cancer.

Who is more likely to develop colorectal cancer?

Anyone can get colorectal cancer, but certain factors make you more likely to develop it:

  • Being older; your risk of getting colorectal cancer increases as you age.
  • Having a personal or family history of colorectal cancer.
  • Having a history of adenomas. Adenomas are colorectal polyps (growths) that look abnormal under a microscope or are 1 centimeter or larger. Adenomas are not cancer, but they can sometimes turn into cancer over time.
  • Having a genetic syndrome such as familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) or Lynch syndrome (hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer).
  • Having chronic ulcerative colitis or Crohn disease for 8 years or more.
  • Having three or more alcoholic drinks per day.
  • Smoking cigarettes.
  • Being Black; Black people have an increased risk of colorectal cancer and death from colorectal cancer compared to other races.
  • Having obesity.

What are the symptoms of colorectal cancer?

Colorectal cancer may not always cause symptoms, especially at first. If you do have symptoms, they could include:

  • A change in bowel habits that lasts more than a few days, such as:
    • Diarrhea
    • Constipation
    • Feeling that the bowel does not empty completely
    • Your stool is narrower or has a different shape than usual
  • Blood (either bright red or very dark) in the stool
  • Frequent gas pains, bloating, fullness, or cramps
  • Weight loss for no known reason
  • Fatigue

What is screening for colorectal cancer and who needs it?

Because colorectal cancer may not cause symptoms at first, it's important to have screening tests for colorectal cancer. Screening tests look for signs of a disease before you have any symptoms. They can help find cancer early, when it may be easier to treat.

Most experts recommend that start screenings at 45 and continue until at least age 75. People over 75 and those who are at high risk should talk to their providers about how often you need screening and what type of test they should get.

The types of tests include different stool tests and procedures such as colonoscopies and flexible sigmoidoscopy. Talk with your provider about how often you need screening and what type of test you should get.

How is colorectal cancer diagnosed?

If you have symptoms that could be caused by colorectal cancer or if your screening test results are abnormal, you may need to have more tests to find out if you have cancer. Possible tests include:

  • A physical exam.
  • A digital rectal exam. For this exam, your provider inserts a lubricated, gloved finger into your rectum to feel for lumps or anything unusual.
  • The tests that are also used for screening (colonoscopy, stool tests, etc.) and biopsy, if you have not already had them.
  • Other blood and tissue tests.

What are the treatments for colorectal cancer?

Your treatment options usually depend on your age, your general health, how serious the cancer is, and which type of cancer you have.

For colon cancer, your treatment may include one or more of these options:

  • Surgery.
  • Radiofrequency ablation, a procedure that uses radio waves to heat and destroy abnormal cells. The radio waves travel through electrodes (small devices that carry electricity).
  • Cryosurgery, a procedure in which an extremely cold liquid or an instrument called a cryoprobe is used to freeze and destroy abnormal tissue.
  • Chemotherapy.
  • Radiation therapy.
  • Targeted therapy, which uses drugs or other substances that mainly attack specific cancer cells and cause less harm to normal cells.
  • Immunotherapy.

For rectal cancer, your treatment may include one or more of these options:

  • Surgery.
  • Radiation therapy.
  • Chemotherapy.
  • Active surveillance, which means having regular tests to see if your rectal cancer has changed. If the tests show the cancer is starting to grow, then you will have treatment to try to cure the cancer.
  • Targeted therapy, which uses drugs or other substances that mainly attack specific cancer cells and cause less harm to normal cells.
  • Immunotherapy.

Can colorectal cancer be prevented?

Avoiding the risk factors that you have control over may help prevent some cancers. That includes:

  • Not smoking
  • Limiting alcohol to under three drinks per day
  • Managing your weight

There are also other steps you can take to try to prevent colorectal cancer. They include:

  • Getting regular colorectal cancer screenings
  • Having polyps removed before they can become cancerous
  • Getting regular exercise

[Learn More in MedlinePlus]

Colon Cancer Summary

Learn about colon cancer risk factors, symptoms, tests to diagnose, factors affecting prognosis, staging, and treatment.
[Learn More in MedlinePlus]

Code History

  • 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.