Ovarian cancer stage 3 is a more serious level of it.  This means that the cancer cells had already been spreading into the other organs like the pelvic area and organs, and at the abdominal organs such as liver, bowels, lymph nodes, and a lot other more.  Ovarian cancer stage 3 is also easier to be diagnosed than the stages 1 to 2 and it is also being used as a part of the prognosis being made by the physician.

Ovarian cancer stage 3 is further being defined by the TNM determination rating system.  TNM is being used to define the tumor size, node inclusion, metastasis or simply the spreading status and the grade of the tumor.

By the use of this, the physician will certainly be helped to know on how long the patient has to live, or even if they will still survive the disease.  There are some factors which is included with this, such as the following:

– The tumor size – because of the spreading of ovarian cancer stage 3, the tumors can now be only defined as one of the following:

• T3 – this is where the tumor is inside one or even both of the ovaries.  Here is where the tumor spread has also included tissues in the pelvic region, or even outside the pelvic region and in the lymph nodes.  Aside from those, this is where the cancerous cells are being found in the abdominal fluids or most commonly known as the ascites, or even at the abdominal cavity washes also known as the peritoneal lavage.
• T3a – like T3, the tumor is also inside one or even both of the ovaries.  But unlike T3, the tumors here are spreading in the tissues of the pelvic region, outside the pelvic region, and even at the back of the pelvic region.
• T3b – like T3 and T3a, the tumor here is also inside one or even both of the ovaries.  In here the tumor spread also includes tissues in the pelvic region, outside the pelvic region, and even beyond the pelvic region which are at its maximum size of up to 2cm, and can be easily seen without a microscope.
• T3c – like the first 3 stages this also has the tumor inside one or both of the ovaries.  The tumor spread in this stage also includes the tissues in the pelvic region, outside the pelvic region, and beyond the pelvic region which is now 2cm or more in size, and certainly can be easily seen.

– Node inclusion – as it is in the ovarian cancer stage 3, it has its own classification as follows:

• N1 – is where the tumor spread has also included the lymph nodes.
• Metastasis or the spread determination – as ovarian cancer stage 3 has been found, there is only one classification that can be used, and that is the:
• M1 – is where the metastasis have been found somewhere.

– Grade of tumor – this shows the maturity of the cancerous cells inside the ovary/s.  As it is now ovarian cancer stage 3, this can only be classified as:

• Grade 2 – has the combination of both normal and cancerous cells.  This is where cancerous cells account for about every other cell.
• Grade 3 – this is where very few normal cells if any are being left or almost all cells are cancerous.

The lower the grade of the tumor the slower that it will grow, and the better the patient have chance for survival.  On the contrary, the higher the tumor grade, the quicker it will grow and spread and this is where the chances for survival merely diminish.