Advanced Ovarian Cancer

ptharp
ptharp Member Posts: 190
in Ovarian Cancer #1
Can someone define what advanced stage ovarian cancer is? Is that when it has spread a far distance in the body from the original site, such as the brain or lungs? I always thought stage 4 was advanced and stage 1 was low grade and stage 2 and 3 were somewhere in between.

Comments

  • SHANNON1231
    SHANNON1231 Member Posts: 53
    #2
    I have stage 4, which I'm
    I have stage 4, which I'm pretty sure is advanced. It had spread to my underarm lymphnode, and my diaphram under my lungs.
  • wholfmeister
    wholfmeister Member Posts: 315
    #3
    Staging and grading
    Stage 3 and 4 are considered advanced. Here is information I found on-line at http://ovariancancer.about.com/od/testsdiagnosis/a/FIGO_stages.htm
    It is consistent with what I learned from my oncologist.

    I couldn't find a reference for grading, but my understanding is the low-grade tumors have cells that are dividing more slowly, compared to high-grade tumors. Theoretically, the faster they are dividing, the more susceptable they are to being killed by chemo, but until killed, they are spreading faster. Please feel free to correct me if I am wrong. I can't find a reference.

    It is good to have a label for this terrible disease within us, but don't let the label define your hope. This discussion board is populated by women of all stages who are fighting the odds, regardless of stage and grade.
  • Ruffy7
    Ruffy7 Member Posts: 126
    #4
    wholfmeister said:

    Staging and grading
    Stage 3 and 4 are considered advanced. Here is information I found on-line at http://ovariancancer.about.com/od/testsdiagnosis/a/FIGO_stages.htm
    It is consistent with what I learned from my oncologist.

    I couldn't find a reference for grading, but my understanding is the low-grade tumors have cells that are dividing more slowly, compared to high-grade tumors. Theoretically, the faster they are dividing, the more susceptable they are to being killed by chemo, but until killed, they are spreading faster. Please feel free to correct me if I am wrong. I can't find a reference.

    It is good to have a label for this terrible disease within us, but don't let the label define your hope. This discussion board is populated by women of all stages who are fighting the odds, regardless of stage and grade.

    My understanding is that the
    My understanding is that the stage is how far its spread by the time its dx. Grade is how aggressive it is. So its possible to have stage 1 but.be high grade/aggressive or stage 4 and be low grade/slow growing. Also I think some cancers are staged/graded differently. I haven't read anything re "advanced" but would assume that something staged 3 or 4 is more advanced since it had more time to spread before it was caught. Just my thoughts on this.
  • Alexandra
    Alexandra Member Posts: 1,308
    #5
    I think that stage 2, 3 and 4 are considered advanced
    Stage I - Growth of the cancer is limited to the ovary or ovaries.

    Stage IA - Growth is limited to one ovary and the tumor is confined to the inside of the ovary. There is no cancer on the outer surface of the ovary. There are no ascites present containing malignant cells. The capsule is intact.

    Stage IB - Growth is limited to both ovaries without any tumor on their outer surfaces. There are no ascites present containing malignant cells. The capsule is intact.

    Stage IC - The tumor is classified as either Stage IA or IB and one or more of the following are present: (1) tumor is present on the outer surface of one or both ovaries; (2) the capsule has ruptured; and (3) there are ascites containing malignant cells or with positive peritoneal washings.

    Stage II - Growth of the cancer involves one or both ovaries with pelvic extension.

    Stage IIA - The cancer has extended to and/or involves the uterus or the fallopian tubes, or both.

    Stage IIB - The cancer has extended to other pelvic organs.

    Stage IIC - The tumor is classified as either Stage IIA or IIB and one or more of the following are present: (1) tumor is present on the outer surface of one or both ovaries; (2) the capsule has ruptured; and (3) there are ascites containing malignant cells or with positive peritoneal washings.

    Stage III - Growth of the cancer involves one or both ovaries, and one or both of the following are present: (1) the cancer has spread beyond the pelvis to the lining of the abdomen; and (2) the cancer has spread to lymph nodes. The tumor is limited to the true pelvis but with histologically proven malignant extension to the small bowel or omentum.

    Stage IIIA - During the staging operation, the practitioner can see cancer involving one or both of the ovaries, but no cancer is grossly visible in the abdomen and it has not spread to lymph nodes. However, when biopsies are checked under a microscope, very small deposits of cancer are found in the abdominal peritoneal surfaces.

    Stage IIIB - The tumor is in one or both ovaries, and deposits of cancer are present in the abdomen that are large enough for the surgeon to see but not exceeding 2 cm in diameter. The cancer has not spread to the lymph nodes.

    Stage IIIC - The tumor is in one or both ovaries, and one or both of the following is present: (1) the cancer has spread to lymph nodes; and/or (2) the deposits of cancer exceed 2 cm in diameter and are found in the abdomen.

    Stage IV - This is the most advanced stage of ovarian cancer. Growth of the cancer involves one or both ovaries and distant metastases (spread of the cancer to organs located outside of the peritoneal cavity) have occurred. Finding ovarian cancer cells in pleural fluid (from the cavity which surrounds the lungs) is also evidence of stage IV disease.

    Recurrent ovarian cancer: This means that the disease went away with treatment but then came back (recurred).

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