HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Nagar, H. Articles by Dobbs, S. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Nagar, H. Articles by Dobbs, S.

Management of early-stage epithelial ovarian cancer

^1. Ward 51, Department of Gynaecologic Oncology/Dysplasia, Royal Women's Hospital, 132 Grattan St, Carlton, Victoria, Australia 3053 Email: Hans.nagar{at}mac.com
^2. Department of Gynaecology, Belfast City Hospital, Belfast, UK

Key content:

• Approximately 30% of women presenting with epithelial ovarian cancer will have early-stage (stage I) disease.
  
• The multidisciplinary team is central to deciding the optimal management for these women.
  
• Comprehensive surgical staging is important in determining the need for chemotherapy.
  
• Although the combined ACTION and ICON 1 studies of chemotherapy showed an improved overall survival, both included large numbers of incompletely staged women.
  

Learning objectives:

• To understand the problems in diagnosing early-stage ovarian cancer and the need for referral to a multidisciplinary team in deciding on management.
  
• To understand the importance of correct surgical staging and the possible need for chemotherapy.
  
• To gain an understanding and awareness of the role of minimal access surgery and fertility-sparing surgery.
  

Ethical issues:

• Difficulties in diagnosing early-stage ovarian cancer can lead to incomplete staging and, ultimately, have a negative effect on prognosis.
  

Keywords chemotherapy / diagnosis / early-stage ovarian cancer / multidisciplinary team / surgical staging