Stages of Ovarian Cancer
Ovarian cancer is the effect of a tumor formed in a woman's ovaries. This tumor harms ovaries and the production of eggs. The risk of deaths by ovarian caner becomes high when woman is above 55 years. About 30% of deaths caused by ovarian cancer include women between 55-75 years.
Staging of ovarian cancer is necessary for its proper treatment. This staging depends upon the spread of tumor and what parts of body have been affected by it. Staging also helps to detect cancer's location and its growth. Hence, the prognosis can be predicted after confirming stage of ovarian cancer.
Four Stages
There are some tests that determine stages of ovarian cancer. CT scan, colonoscopy, x-rays and TNM system are criteria that judge stages of ovarian cancer. The system of staging ovarian cancer is called FIGO (International Federation of Gynecology and obstetrics). After performing necessary tests, doctors decide how much cancer has spread. Ovarian cancer can be staged into four steps.
These various tests' results are considered to detect the stage of cancer for each individual independently. Hence, doctors describe the growth of cancer to apply best treatment for patient.
Stage I: This stage signals the existence of cancer cells is limited to one or both the ovaries. This is the beginning of the cancer cells to spread.
- Stage IA: It involves the spread of cancer only on the surface of an ovary. There are no malignant cells that can cause severe damage to the ovary.
- Stage IB: The cancer spreads over both the ovaries in this stage. It also encapsulates intact, but doesn’t spread over pelvic lymph or other parts of the body.
- Stage IC: the cancer's existence is found over both the ovaries. It also involves the malignant cells or ruptured capsules in the fluid.
Stage II: In this stage, cancer cells spread from the ovaries into other parts of pelvis-uterus, fallopian tubes or other tissues.
- Stage IIA: The extension of cancer cell is found into fallopian tube or uterus.
- Stage IIB: The pelvic structure is covered by cancer cells, but other parts remain unaffected.
- Stage IIC: the cancer cells spread into the pelvic area, and these cells state to shed into the fluid of abdomen.
Stage III: The cancer cells spread over both the ovaries and pelvis. The cells also implant into the peritoneum.
- Stage IIIA: Microscopic peritoneal spreads throughout the pelvis and beyond it.
- Stage IIIB: Microscopic peritoneal extends beyond peritoneal with at least 2cm in size.
- Stage IIIC: The cancer cells spread outside the peritoneal area to the other parts of the pelvis in more than 2cm.
Stage IV: In this final stage, cancer cells are found outside pelvis and abdomen. Liver, lungs, and other parts come under cancer affected area.
However, prognosis is confirmed from the main stage, but the sub stages also play important role in the recommendations of treatment.
