There are four stages of ovarian cancer. Stage III is the most common stage when women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer. In stage I, the cancer is confined to one or both ovaries. In stage II, the cancer has spread to other body organs such as the pelvis, fallopian tubes or uterus. In Stage III, the cancer has spread to the abdomen lining or lymph nodes. Stage IV, the last stage, is when the cancer has spread to organs beyond the abdomen.
Diagnosis Tests
If a doctor suspects symptoms in a woman are due to ovarian cancer, here is a list of tests s/he will run to confirm the suspicion. Besides the tests mentioned below, the doctor may also do a computerized tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and a chest x-ray, according to the Mayo Clinic.
- Pelvic examination: Doctor examines vagina, pelvis, rectum, uterus and ovaries for any growths.
- Ultrasound: An ultrasound can detect possible signs of cancer such as fluid in the abdomen cavity and can evaluate the size and shape of a growth. An ultrasound cannot determine whether a growth is cancerous.
- Blood Test: The protein, CA 125, is abnormally high in a woman with ovarian cancer.
Operations
When one of the above tests suggests ovarian cancer is a real possibility, an operation is needed to confirm the diagnosis, says the Mayo Clinic.
Laparotomy is one surgical procedure. An incision is made in the abdomen and the surgeon explores the abdominal cavity. An ovary may also be removed during this procedure for examination.
The other option is less invasive. Laparoscopy can be used when the doctor wants to remove a tissue mass to determine whether it is cancerous.
If these procedures confirm the diagnosis of ovarian cancer, the doctor will identify the type of tumor, determine whether the cancer has spread, determine the stage and perform a more extensive operation to remove as much cancer as possible.
Treatment
Ovarian cancer treatment usually involves a combination of surgery and chemotherapy, according to the Mayo Clinic.
- Surgery: Generally ovarian cancer surgery involves removing both ovaries, fallopian tubes, uterus, lymph nodes and the omentum (fatty abdominal tissue). The surgeon will also remove as much cancer as possible from the abdomen. This could involve removing part of the intestines. If a woman desires to have children after ovarian cancer, she should talk to her doctor. It is possible to remove only the infected ovary and fallopian tube but with chemotherapy treatment, the woman could become infertile.
- Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy uses drugs designed to kill any remaining cells. An effective option is the combination of the drugs Paraplatin and Taxol injected into the bloodstream. Another more intensive option combines standard intravenous chemotherapy with chemotherapy injected directly into the abdominal cavity through a catheter. This procedure exposes hard-to-reach cancer cells to higher levels of chemotherapy.
- Radiation: Radiation is not considered an effective treatment for ovarian cancer. The doctor may recommend external beam radiation therapy (EBCT) to treat symptoms of advanced cancer.
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