stage 4 lymphoma | What is life expectancy with stage IV ovarian cancer?

What is life expectancy with stage IV ovarian cancer?

Ovarian cancer, one of the rarest and most deadly forms of cancer that occurs in women, is divided into four distinct steps. These four steps are a way of categorizing the extent to which the original tumor has spread and helps determine which treatment options are available, as well as the ability of the individual to recover completely. Ovarian cancer stage IV is the more advanced and lethal stages of all ovarian cancer.

Stages of Ovarian Cancer
The four stages of ovarian cancer are defined by how much cancer has spread, or appeared, within the body. At stage I ovarian cancer, cancer cells are still limited exclusively to the affected ovary. In stage II, cancer appeared from the ovary to tissues in the pelvic region. Stage III ovarian Cancer is characterized by the presence of cancerous cells in the lymph nodes and throughout the abdominal region. Ovarian Cancer that has reached stage IV has spread outside the abdomen and in other organs such as the liver.

Stage IV Life expectancy
Ovarian Cancer that has reached stage IV is the most deadly form of the disease. While about two-thirds of women a stage I diagnosis or phase II ovarian cancer will eventually be cured and 13 percent of women diagnosed in phase III can recover completely, less than five percent of women diagnosed with cancer Stage IV ovaries survive for five years after the cancer is discovered.

Stage IV Diagnosis
While most women with ovarian cancer are diagnosed at stage III, stage IV diagnosis or any other stages of ovarian cancer follow the same basic procedure. A doctor will usually identify an enlarged ovary during a routine gynecological examination and recommend however to perform an ultrasound and some blood tests to determine if the mass could be cancerous. If ovarian cancer appears to be indicated, a procedure called a laparotomy will be performed. In this procedure, a small incision will be made in the abdomen to allow the doctor to access the ovary.

Stage IV Surgical Treatment
There are two main treatments for stage IV ovarian cancer patients. The first is a surgical procedure, called surgery treatment, where both ovarian cancer and surrounding abdominal tissues are suppressed. Surgery treatment, however, is rarely able to remove all cancer present in ovarian cancer stage IV.

Stage IV Chemotherapy
Treatment surgery in stage IV patients ovarian cancer is almost always followed with an aggressive chemotherapy treatment to try to destroy the cancerous cells in the abdomen after surgery. The most common chemotherapy medications administered during this treatment phase are paclitaxel and a platinum compound such as Platinol or flattened.