Stages of ovarian cancer
| Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month |
Stages of ovarian cancer
To decide how to treat a woman's ovarian cancer, doctors need to know the extent of her disease. Has the cancer invaded nearby tissues? Has it spread to other parts of the body?
Using tissue samples from the pelvis and abdomen and such tests as CT scans, X-rays and colonoscopy, doctors can determine how widespread the disease is. The cancer will then be described as being at a particular stage.
Although there are sub-stages as well, the primary stages, according to the U.S. National Cancer Institute, are:
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Stage I: Cancer cells are found in one or both ovaries. They could be on the surface of the ovaries or in fluid collected from the abdomen.
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Stage II: Cancer cells have spread from the ovaries to the fallopian tubes, the uterus or other tissues in the pelvis. They may be found in fluid from the abdomen.
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Stage III: Cancer cells have spread to tissues outside the pelvis or to the regional lymph nodes. They may be found on the outside of the liver.
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Stage IV: Cancer cells have spread to tissues outside the abdomen and pelvis. They may be found inside the liver, in the lungs or in other organs.
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