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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2020 Jun 12.
Published in final edited form as: Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2016 Aug 25;2:16061. doi: 10.1038/nrdp.2016.61

Table 3 |.

Staging of ovarian cancer

FIGO stage Description Corresponding TNM stage
I Tumour confined to ovaries or fallopian tubes T1
IA Tumour limited to one ovary (with ovarian capsule intact) or fallopian tube; no tumour on ovarian or fallopian tube surface; no malignant cells in the ascites or peritoneal washings T1a
IB Tumour limited to both ovaries (with ovarian capsules intact) or fallopian tubes; no tumour on ovarian or fallopian tube surface; no malignant cells in the ascites or peritoneal washings T1b
IC Tumour limited to one or both ovaries or fallopian tubes, with any of the following C substages:

  • IC1: surgical spill intraoperatively

  • IC2: capsule ruptured before surgery or tumour on ovarian or fallopian tube surface

  • IC3: malignant cells in the ascites or peritoneal washings

 T1c
II Tumour involves one or both ovaries, or the fallopian tubes with pelvic extension below the pelvic brim or primary peritoneal cancer (Tp) T2
IIA Extension and/or implants of tumour on uterus and/or fallopian tubes and/or ovaries T2a
IIB Extension of tumour to other pelvic intraperitoneal tissues T2b
III Tumour involves one or both ovaries, or the fallopian tubes, or primary peritoneal cancer with cytologically or histologically confirmed spread to the peritoneum outside the pelvis and/or metastasis to the retroperitoneal lymph nodes T3
IIIA Metastasis to the retroperitoneal lymph nodes with or without microscopic peritoneal involvement beyond the pelvis T1, T2, T3aN1
IIIA1: positive retroperitoneal lymph nodes only (pathologically proven)
• IIIA1(i): metastasis up to 10 mm in greatest dimension T3a/T3aN1
• IIIA1(ii): metastasis >10 mm in greatest dimension
IIIA2: microscopic extrapelvic (above the pelvic brim) peritoneal involvement with or without positive retroperitoneal lymph nodes T3a/T3aN1
IIIB Macroscopic peritoneal metastasis beyond the pelvis up to 2 cm in greatest dimension, with or without metastasis to the retroperitoneal lymph nodes T3b/T3bN1
IIIC Macroscopic peritoneal metastasis beyond the pelvis >2 cm in greatest dimension, with or without metastasis to the retroperitoneal lymph nodes (includes extension of tumour to capsule of liver and spleen without parenchymal involvement of either organ) T3c/T3cN1
IV Distant metastasis excluding peritoneal metastases

  • IVA: pleural effusion with positive cytology

  • IVB: parenchymal metastases and metastases to extra-abdominal organs (including inguinal lymph nodes and lymph nodes outside of the abdominal cavity)

 Any T, any N or M1

FIGO, International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics; TNM, TNM classification of malignant tumours. Reproduced with permission from REF. 220, Elsevier.