A patient is diagnosed in 2015 with prostate cancer and in 2023 with a pituitary adenoma. What is the correct sequencing in the cancer registry?

The correct sequencing in the cancer registry for the given scenario involves the proper coding of the primary site and the subsequent diagnosis of another tumor.

In this case, a patient diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2015 has a later diagnosis of a pituitary adenoma in 2023. The coding indicates that the first number represents the type of cancer (where prostate cancer is coded as 00 and pituitary adenoma as 60) and helps identify the primary site of the cancer.

Since prostate cancer is the first malignancy diagnosed, it is given a lower sequence number, which indicates that it occurred first in chronological order. In this context, the pituitary adenoma, while a separate diagnosis, follows as a secondary diagnosis and is assigned a higher number.

By using the code structure of 00 for prostate cancer and 60 for pituitary adenoma, the coding accurately reflects the order of diagnosis while maintaining clarity in registry reporting. Therefore, this correct coding sequence respects the definitions of primary vs. secondary neoplasms and adheres to standard oncology data coding practices.