When ovarian cancer is diagnosed, it is important to determine if the cancer has spread beyond the ovaries. Your treatment team may do more tests to determine if the cancer has spread. In addition, during surgery, certain additional steps should be performed to determine the extent of the disease. This process is called staging. Staging helps to determine the exact extent of your cancer and what treatment plan is best for you. It is important that your surgery be performed by a Surgical oncologist(Cancer Surgeon)

Following surgery, your cancer will be categorized into one of the following stages:

Stage I: The cancer is found in one or both ovaries. Cancer cells also may be found on the surface of the ovaries or in fluid collected from the abdomen.

Stage II: The cancer has spread from one or both ovaries to other tissues in the pelvis, such as the fallopian tubes or uterus. Cancer cells may also be found in fluid collected from the abdomen.

Stage III: The cancer has spread outside the pelvis or nearby lymph nodes. Most commonly the cancer spreads to the omentum (an apron of fatty tissue that hangs down from the colon and stomach), diaphragm, intestine and the outside (surface) of the liver.

Stage IV: The cancer has spread to tissues outside the abdomen and pelvis. Most commonly to the space around the lungs. If the cancer spreads inside the liver or spleen, it is considered stage IV.

T REATMENT

Ovarian cancer is most often treated with surgery and chemotherapy.Only rarely is radiation therapy used. It is important to distinguish between early stage ovarian cancer and advanced disease because the

treatment approaches are different. Your specific treatment plan will depend on several factors, including:

➤ The stage and grade of your cancer

➤ The size and location of your cancer

➤ Your age and general health