After a diagnosis of ovarian cancer is made, the cancer is then staged, typically during surgery, when the surgeon can see the spread and extent of the cancer and biopsy various tissues in the pelvis. The cancer is staged using the size and location of the tumor(s), whether any lymph nodes are cancerous, and whether the cancer has metastasized, or spread to other organs. For ovarian cancer, stages range from Stage I to Stage IV.
Significance
The American Cancer Society estimates that in the United States in 2009, approximately 21,550 new diagnoses of ovarian cancer were made, and over 14,000 women died that year from the disease. This kind of cancer accounts for 3 percent of all cancer diagnosed in women; more than half of women diagnosed with ovarian cancer are over the age of 60.
Symptoms
The prognosis and survival rate for ovarian cancer is better when the cancer is caught early. Early diagnosis is difficult, since the symptoms of the disease are similar to other diseases. But knowing the symptoms of ovarian cancer can help identify any suspicious changes. According to the University of California-San Francisco Medical Center, symptoms typically get progressively worse and include abdominal swelling or pain; frequent urination; pelvic discomfort; changes in bowel habits, like constipation; loss of appetite; pain with intercourse.
Features
Stage II ovarian cancer is divided into three sub-stages. The National Cancer Institute describes Stage IIA ovarian cancer as including cancer that is in one or both ovaries and has spread to either the uterus and/or the fallopian tubes. In Stage IIB, cancer is in one or both ovaries and has spread to other tissues in the pelvis. Stage IIC is diagnosed when cancer is in one or both ovaries and, in addition to the uterus and/or fallopian tubes and/or other pelvic tissues being cancerous, cancer cells are found in the fluid of the abdominal cavity.
Treatment
Treatment for Stage II ovarian cancer can vary, depending on patient preference, the specific areas of spread and the characteristics of the patient's cancer. Treatment options, according to the National Cancer Institute, can include total abdominal hysterectomy, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy and omentectomy. These are the removal of the uterus and fallopian tubes, both ovaries and the omentum, a fatty tissue covered with abdominal lining. Pelvic lymph nodes may be removed to check for cancer. Clinical trials of radiation therapy or chemotherapy may also be done, either alone or in conjunction with surgery.
Prognosis
The five-year survival rate in cancer is the percentage of all patients with that disease who are alive five years post-diagnosis, and earlier stages typically have better prognoses than later stages of cancer. For ovarian cancer, the American Cancer Society lists the five-year survival rate of Stage IIA, IIB and IIC ovarian cancer as 76 percent, 67 percent and 57 percent, respectively. Overall, Stage II ovarian cancer has a five-year survival rate of 66 percent.
