Ovarian cancer stages indicate the severity of the disease, describing how far the cancerous cells have spread. Stage 1 is the least serious phase and indicates the cancer is still confined to one or both ovaries. Stage 2 ovarian cancer is indicated when cancerous cells are found in at least one ovary and in other organs in the pelvis. One of the more serious ovarian cancer stages is Stage 3, at which point the cancer has spread to the abdominal lining, the lymph nodes or both. Stage 4 is considered the most severe phase and is used to indicate the cancer has metastasized to organs outside the abdominal cavity, such as the lungs or the liver.
Patients with Stage 1 cancer are often able to be treated without long-term damage, because the cancer is within one or both ovaries. More specifically, Stage 1A means the cancer is in one ovary, while Stage 1B means the cancer is in both ovaries. In such cases, no cancerous cells have been found on the exterior of the ovaries. On the other hand, Stage 1C means cancer has been found within at least one ovary, on the outer surface and within fluid inside the abdomen. In most cases of Stage 1 cancer, the problem cells can be removed.
In Stage 2 ovarian cancer, the cells have spread from the ovaries to nearby organs. Stage 2A describes cancer that extends to the fallopian tubes, the uterus or both. Stage 2B means cancerous cells have been found in organs in the pelvis, including the bladder or rectum. In both ovarian cancer stages, no damaged cells are found in the abdomen fluid. Cancer is, however, detected in the fluid in the abdomen in Stage 2C, at which point organs in the pelvis are also affected.
One of the more advanced ovarian cancer stages is Stage 3, in which the cancer has extended beyond both the ovaries and the pelvis. For example, Stage 3A describes cancer that extends to the upper abdominal lining, though the amount of cancer there can only be observed under a microscope. Stage 3B indicates the cancer is large enough to be seen without a microscope. Stage 3C is often more serious, because the amount of cancer in the abdomen is either even larger or the cells have extended to the lymph nodes.
Another advanced ovarian cancer stage is Stage 4, which is the most severe phase. This indicates the cancer has crept out of the abdominal cavity and, unlike other ovarian cancer stages, has infected organs such as the liver and lungs. In some cases, the cancer is not found in these organs but is present in either the fluid surrounding the lungs or in the lymph nodes in the neck.