ICD-10-CM Tabular Index · Chapter 2 · FY 2026 C15–C26
Malignant neoplasms of digestive organs (C15-C26) ICD-10-CM
The C15–C26 section covers malignant neoplasms of digestive organs with 69 ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes, of which 60 are billable in fiscal year 2026. The section is organized into the 12 code ranges listed below.
✓ Built from the official CMS FY 2026 datasetEffective Oct 1, 2025 – Sep 30, 2026
12
Code Ranges
69
Diagnosis Codes
60
Billable Codes
C15–C26
Code Range
Type 1 Excludes
A type 1 excludes note is a pure excludes note. It means "NOT CODED HERE!" An Excludes1 note indicates that the code excluded should never be used at the same time as the code above the Excludes1 note. An Excludes1 is used when two conditions cannot occur together, such as a congenital form versus an acquired form of the same condition.
A type 2 excludes note represents "Not included here". An excludes2 note indicates that the condition excluded is not part of the condition represented by the code, but a patient may have both conditions at the same time. When an Excludes2 note appears under a code, it is acceptable to use both the code and the excluded code together, when appropriate.
The info icon previews the code ranges inside each row and its instructional notations from the official Tabular List.
About the C15–C26 Code Range
ICD-10 codes C15-C26 specifically identify various types of malignant neoplasms of digestive organs. These codes cover cancers in key digestive system locations such as the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, colon, rectum, liver, gallbladder, biliary tract, pancreas, spleen, and other undefined digestive sites.
This range includes detailed subcategories for common cancer sites, like C15.3 to C15.9 for cancers in different parts of the esophagus (often called primary carcinomas or squamous cell carcinomas), and C16.0 to C16.9 for stomach cancer including adenocarcinomas of the cardia and pylorus. Codes like C17.0 to C17.9 specify malignant tumors of the small intestine, while C18.0 to C18.9 cover colon cancers with precise locations such as cecum or sigmoid colon. Rectal and anal cancers fall under C19 to C21, covering primary adenocarcinomas and squamous cell carcinomas. Liver cancers, including hepatocellular carcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma, are coded from C22.0 to C22.9. Biliary and gallbladder malignancies use C23 and C24, and pancreatic cancers, including endocrine pancreas tumors, are detailed from C25.0 to C25.9. The range concludes with C26 codes for ill-defined digestive organ malignancies, such as unspecified intestinal tract and spleen tumors. These codes facilitate precise documentation of digestive organ cancers by site and tumor type, assisting clinical tracking and treatment strategies.
Questions About This Page
How many codes are in the C15-C26 range?
The C15-C26 range contains 69 ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes in FY 2026. 60 of them are billable, and the rest are category headers that organize the section.
What conditions does C15-C26 cover?
The range covers malignant neoplasms of digestive organs. The code ranges listed above break it into groups of related conditions, and each one links to its own page with the full code list.
The “use additional code” indicates that a secondary code could be used to further specify the patient’s condition. This note is not mandatory and is only used if enough information is available to assign an additional code.
The “use additional code” indicates that a secondary code could be used to further specify the patient’s condition. This note is not mandatory and is only used if enough information is available to assign an additional code.
A type 2 excludes note represents "Not included here". An excludes2 note indicates that the condition excluded is not part of the condition represented by the code, but a patient may have both conditions at the same time. When an Excludes2 note appears under a code, it is acceptable to use both the code and the excluded code together, when appropriate.
A type 1 excludes note is a pure excludes note. It means "NOT CODED HERE!" An Excludes1 note indicates that the code excluded should never be used at the same time as the code above the Excludes1 note. An Excludes1 is used when two conditions cannot occur together, such as a congenital form versus an acquired form of the same condition.
malignant carcinoid tumors of the small intestine C7A.01
A type 1 excludes note is a pure excludes note. It means "NOT CODED HERE!" An Excludes1 note indicates that the code excluded should never be used at the same time as the code above the Excludes1 note. An Excludes1 is used when two conditions cannot occur together, such as a congenital form versus an acquired form of the same condition.
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.
Malignant neoplasm of colon with rectum
Malignant neoplasm of rectosigmoid (colon)
Type 1 Excludes
A type 1 excludes note is a pure excludes note. It means "NOT CODED HERE!" An Excludes1 note indicates that the code excluded should never be used at the same time as the code above the Excludes1 note. An Excludes1 is used when two conditions cannot occur together, such as a congenital form versus an acquired form of the same condition.
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.
Malignant neoplasm of rectal ampulla
Type 1 Excludes
A type 1 excludes note is a pure excludes note. It means "NOT CODED HERE!" An Excludes1 note indicates that the code excluded should never be used at the same time as the code above the Excludes1 note. An Excludes1 is used when two conditions cannot occur together, such as a congenital form versus an acquired form of the same condition.
A type 2 excludes note represents "Not included here". An excludes2 note indicates that the condition excluded is not part of the condition represented by the code, but a patient may have both conditions at the same time. When an Excludes2 note appears under a code, it is acceptable to use both the code and the excluded code together, when appropriate.
The “use additional code” indicates that a secondary code could be used to further specify the patient’s condition. This note is not mandatory and is only used if enough information is available to assign an additional code.
A type 1 excludes note is a pure excludes note. It means "NOT CODED HERE!" An Excludes1 note indicates that the code excluded should never be used at the same time as the code above the Excludes1 note. An Excludes1 is used when two conditions cannot occur together, such as a congenital form versus an acquired form of the same condition.
A type 1 excludes note is a pure excludes note. It means "NOT CODED HERE!" An Excludes1 note indicates that the code excluded should never be used at the same time as the code above the Excludes1 note. An Excludes1 is used when two conditions cannot occur together, such as a congenital form versus an acquired form of the same condition.
malignant neoplasm of intrahepatic bile duct C22.1
A "code also" note instructs that two codes may be required to fully describe a condition, but this note does not provide sequencing direction.
if applicable exocrine pancreatic insufficiency K86.81
Use Additional Code
The “use additional code” indicates that a secondary code could be used to further specify the patient’s condition. This note is not mandatory and is only used if enough information is available to assign an additional code.
A type 1 excludes note is a pure excludes note. It means "NOT CODED HERE!" An Excludes1 note indicates that the code excluded should never be used at the same time as the code above the Excludes1 note. An Excludes1 is used when two conditions cannot occur together, such as a congenital form versus an acquired form of the same condition.
malignant neoplasm of peritoneum and retroperitoneum C48
