ABSTRACT
A minority of patients with epithelial ovarian cancer will have disease confined to the ovary or extraovarian pelvis, and can be expected to have a favorable longterm survival outcome. A comprehensive surgical staging procedure is critical not only for identifying this select subset of patients but also for determining the prescription for adjuvant therapy. While most patients with borderline tumors, ovarian germ cell tumors and sex cord stromal tumors will have earlystage disease, the information gleaned from surgical staging is no less relevant. This chapter will define the rationale for and techniques of the ovarian cancer staging operation for women with apparent early-stage disease.
