Ovarian Cancer Staging
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Staging for Ovarian Cancer
With the exception of a few cancer types, cancer can spread or metastasize to other parts of the body. This is true of ovarian cancer, which may invade the fallopian tubes or uterus. Cancer may also spread through the lymphatic system or blood stream. This is why it is important to seek treatment following a diagnosis of ovarian cancer.
In order to examine disease progression, your doctor at Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) will use several tools to determine if a cancerous growth extends beyond the ovaries. In determining the stage of cancer, your doctor will review a combination of tests including blood and imaging studies.
Your doctor may also feel that a biopsy is needed to ensure proper staging. A biopsy is a sample of tissue that is taken from the pelvic and abdominal lymph nodes, in the case of ovarian diseases. After thorough analysis, your doctor will mention one of four stages of ovarian cancer.
- Stage I: Ovarian cancer resides in one or both ovaries.
- Stage II: Ovarian cancer has spread beyond the ovaries to other locations within the pelvis.
- Stage III: Ovarian cancer penetrates the lining of the abdomen or the lymph nodes. Most women receive a diagnosis of ovarian cancer during this stage.
- Stage IV: Ovarian cancer exists in distant organs outside of the abdomen.
Your exact plan of treatment may also depend on a staging subsystem known as TNM. Abbreviated TNM for detailed staging of tumors (T), node involvement (N), and metastasis (M), the system is highly intricate and considers a broad spectrum of ovarian cancer characteristics.
The tumor (T) is classified in categories T1, T1a, T1b, T1c, and repeats for T2 and T3. The later categories denote more complex and progressive forms of cancer. Lymph nodes (N) are divided into N0, where there are no lymph node metastases, or N1, where cancer metastases to the lymph nodes exist. The exact state of metastasis (M) is similar to node categorization with M0 denoting no metastases and M1 signifying the presence of metastases.
You may also be assigned a tumor grade where Grade 1 is the least malignant (or cancerous) and Grade 3 is the most malignant. Low grade number assignments signify slow tumor growth.
Overall, the staging process for ovarian cancer is quite complex. At CTCA your care team is always available to educate you regarding the details of ovarian cancer staging and treatment.
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