Table of contents:
- Recognize the stage of ovarian cancer (ovaries)
- 1. Stage 1 / I
- 2. Stage 2 / II
- 3. Stage 3 / III
- 4. Stage 4
- Apart from the stadium, also recognize the term grade for ovarian cancer
- Can stage 4 ovarian cancer be cured?
Cancer can attack any part of the body, including the cells of the ovaries or ovaries. Over time, cancer cells from the ovaries can spread to other healthy tissues or organs around it. In order to facilitate the treatment of ovarian cancer, doctors must know the stage. Come on, learn more about the following ovarian cancer stages.
Recognize the stage of ovarian cancer (ovaries)
When you get a diagnosis of ovarian cancer, the oncologist will try to find out whether the cancer cells have spread or not. If it has spread, the doctor will find out how far it has spread. That way, your doctor can consider which ovarian cancer treatment is right for you.
Ovarian cancer stage has 4 stages or levels. The lower the level, the less cancer cells will spread. Conversely, if the level is high, it means that cancer cells have spread to many places.
According to the American Cancer Society website, the FIGO system (International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics) and AJCC (American Joint Committee on Cancer) use classifications in determining the stage of cancer, including:
- T sign (tumor) that is, it shows the size of the tumor
- N mark (lymph nodes) that is, shows the spread of cancer cells to the nearby lymph nodes
- M sign (metastastic)is the spread of cancer cells to the area of the bone, liver, or lungs
More specifically, the division of ovarian cancer (ovary) stages includes:
1. Stage 1 / I
Stage 1 ovarian cancer indicates that the cancer is only in the ovaries. At this level, ovarian cancer is divided into several groups, namely:
Stage I (T1-N0-M0): The cancer is only in the ovaries or fallopian tubes and has not spread.
Stage IA (T1A-N0-M0): only one ovary had cancer, the tumor was only on the inside of the ovary. No cancer was detected on the surface of the ovaries and no malignant cancer cells were detected in the abdominal or pelvic area.
Stage IB (T1B-N0-M0): both ovaries had cancer, but no cancer was detected on the surface of the ovaries, stomach, or pelvis.
IC Stadium (T1C-N0-M0): cancer in one or two ovaries followed by the following information:
- IC1 stage (T1C1-N0-M0) ovarian tissue surrounding the tumor is not intact or ruptured during surgery;
- IC2 stage (T1C2-N0-M0) ovarian tissue surrounding the tumor ruptured before surgery and there were abnormal cells on the outer surface of the ovary; and
- Stage IC3 (T1C3-N0-M0) cancer cells are detected in the stomach or pelvis.
At this level, the most common treatment is surgical removal of the tumor. In some cases, the uterus, both fallopian tubes, or both ovaries are removed. This operation is known as hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy.
2. Stage 2 / II
Stage 2 ovarian cancer means cancer has grown outside the ovaries or has grown in the area around the pelvis. At this level, ovarian cancer is divided into several groups, namely:
Stage II (T2-N0-M0): cancer is in one or both ovaries and has spread to the pelvis, for example, the uterus or bladder.
Stage IIA (T2A-N0-M0): cancer has spread to the uterus (womb) and / or fallopian tubes.
Stage IIB (T2B-N0-M0): cancer affects other organs in your pelvis, for example the bladder or anus.
The treatment for this stage of cancer is hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. Then, followed by chemotherapy after surgery for at least 6 cycles.
3. Stage 3 / III
Ovarian cancer stage 3 indicates that cancer has spread beyond the pelvic area, into the abdominal cavity, or to lymph nodes at the back of the stomach. At this level, ovarian cancer is divided into several groups, namely:
Stage 3A (T1 / 2-N1-M0 or T3A-N0 / N1-M0): Cancer is in one or both ovaries or fallopian tubes. During surgery no cancer is visible outside the pelvis inside the stomach with the naked eye but small deposits of cancer are detected in the lining of the stomach (peritoneum) or in the folds of the peritoneum (omentum) under a microscope. Cancer may or may not spread to nearby lymph nodes.
Stage 3B or IIIB (T3B-N0 / N1-M0): Tumors less than 2 cm in diameter are seen outside the pelvis in the abdomen. The surrounding lymph nodes may or may not contain cancer cells.
Stage 3C or IIIC (T3C-N0 / N1-M0): Tumors more than 2 cm in diameter are detected outside the pelvis inside the abdomen and possibly outside the liver or spleen.
In this stage of cancer, the treatment is not much different from stage 2 cancer. It's just that there will be more drug choices and chemotherapy cycles.
4. Stage 4
Stage 4 ovarian cancer indicates that the cancer has spread to other organs, such as the liver and lungs. At this stage, ovarian cancer may also cause complications. Ovarian cancer at stage 4 is further divided into several groups, namely:
Stage IVA (T-any N-M1A): cancer cells are found in the fluid around the lungs.
Stage IVB (T-any N-M1B): cancer has spread to the inside of the spleen, liver, or to distant lymph nodes or to other organs such as the lungs and bones.
Apart from the stadium, also recognize the term grade for ovarian cancer
The term "grade", which doctors use in diagnosing and treating ovarian cancer patients, is useful to help predict how cancer cells spread and how fast cancer cells grow. In types of ovarian cancer, gradedivided into:
- Grade 1 cancer (well differentiated) have cells that are very similar to normal cells and are less likely to spread or recur (come back).
- Grade 2 cancer (somewhat differentiated) and grade 3 (under-differentiated) cancer show an increase in appearance abnormalities compared to normal cells. Cancer cells of this grade also tend to spread and recur.
Cell differentiation refers to the process by which cells are specialized for carrying out a task or choosing a place in the body.
Can stage 4 ovarian cancer be cured?
In stage 4 (IV) cancer, the cancer has spread to a place far from where the cancer cells originated. At this stage, cancer is very difficult to cure, but it is still treatable. That is, ovarian cancer treatment is carried out with the aim not to cure but to help relieve symptoms of ovarian cancer so that the patient's life is better.
Stage 4 ovarian cancer that does not heal is treated in the same way as stage 3 cancer. Initially, the doctor will perform surgery to remove the tumor and remove the cancer cells. Then, the doctor will also ask the patient to undergo chemotherapy and possibly targeted therapy.
Another option in treating stage 4 ovarian cancer is to undergo chemotherapy first. This is done to reduce the size of the tumor, surgery can be performed and resumed with chemotherapy.
On average, 3 cycles of chemotherapy before surgery were performed and 3 more cycles after surgery. The last treatment option is combined with palliative care.
