All cancers are divided into four stages. The characteristics of each phase depend on the tumour. For ovarian cancer:
Stage 1: Cancer is found in the ovaries
Stage 2: One or both ovaries are affected, and cancer spreads elsewhere in the pelvis.
Stage 3: Cancer has spread outside the pelvic region to the abdominal area and the neighbouring lymph nodes.
Stage 4: The abdomen has been affected, but other parts of the body.