Staging and surgical evaluation of ovarian cancer.

Ovarian carcinoma is the only female genital malignancy surgically staged. Appropriate preoperative roentgenographic, isotopic, and endoscopic studies can help define the spread of disease and the extent of surgery required. At surgery, the common sites of metastases--pelvic and para-aortic lymph nodes, diaphragm, serosal surfaces and omentum--should be examined and biopsied or excised. Total hysterectomy, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, and appendectomy should also be performed in patients with epithelial ovarian tumors. Evidence suggests that patients who have had optimal cytoreduction of the tumor (less than 1.5 cm) have a better outcome following chemotherapy. Patients who have no clinical or CT evidence of disease after a full course of chemotherapy should be explored to confirm disease status. Peritoneoscopy can be used as an interval procedure to assess response to treatment.