Ovarian cancer originates in one or both ovaries. There are three main tumors that can originate within the ovaries: germ cell tumors, stromal tumors and ephitelial tumors. Germ cell tumors originate in the ovary cells, which are responsible for producing eggs. Stromal tumors originate in the hormone-producing cells that provide structure and support for the ovary. Epithelial tumors originate in the ovaries' outer surfaces. The vast majority of ovarian cancers are caused by epithelial tumors.
Staging
Ovarian cancer is staged using the standard system to stage almost all cancers. This system assigns a stage from I to IV, with I being the least serious and IV being the most serious. It is called the AJCC system because it was created by the American Joint Committee on Cancer. It also sometimes referred to as the TNM system, based on the three factors used to assign a stage to a cancer. The "T" factor describes the size of the tumor. The "N" factor describes the extent or absence of cancer in the lymph nodes. The "M" factor describes the presence or absence of metastases (spread of the cancer to other body parts).
Stage IIIA
Ovarian cancer has three different classifications for Stage III cancer. Stage IIIA is the least severe of the Stage III cancers. It is characterized by a T number of 3a, an N number of 0 and an M number of 0. The 0 in N and M means there are no metastases or cancer in the lymph nodes. The T number of 3a means that there is visible cancer present in the ovaries and microscopic cancer cells in the lining of the upper abdomen, but no visible cancer in the abdomen.
Stage IIIB
Stage IIIB is the next classification for Stage III ovarian cancer, and is harder to treat than Stage IIIA. Again, the N and M number are 0, which means there is no cancer in the lymph nodes or in distant parts of the body. However, the T number of 3b means there is cancer present in both ovaries and visible cancer in the abdomen that is smaller than 2 centimeters.
Stage IIIC
Stage IIIC is the final Stage III classification. The next level of ovarian cancer is Stage IV, which is no longer curable. Stage IIIC is characterized by an N number of 1. This means that cancer is present in the lymph nodes. The T number doesn't matter because it is the cancer's presence in the lymph nodes that make the cancer Stage IIIC. The M number is 0. Stage IIIC also describes cancer with a T number of 3c, and an N and M number of 0. This means visible cancer larger than 2 centimeters long is present in the abdomen, but there is no lymph node involvement.
Prognosis
Prognosis for cancer is determined based on evaluating the five-year survival rates of patients diagnosed with a given stage of cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, the five-year survival rate for patients diagnosed with Stage IIIA ovarian cancer is 50.8 percent. The five-year survival rate for patients with Stage IIIB drops to 42.4 percent. Finally, the five-year survival rate for patients with Stage IIIC ovarian cancer is 31.5 percent.
Tags: Stage IIIC, lymph nodes, five-year survival, Stage IIIA, visible cancer, cancer lymph, cancer lymph nodes