Computerized tomography in ovarian cancer

Sixteen women suffering from ovarian cancer were staged by clinical and pathological means and concomitantly scanned by computed tomographic means. Computed tomography (CT) was found accurate in nine patients. The staging of the disease was upgraded in three patients following the CT examination. CT examination in four patients was equivocal or failed to detect the true extent of the disease. It was not possible to accurately assess the true nature of the pelvic mass on CT following a partial debulking pelvic procedure, as the remnant pelvic bed tissue could be misinterpreted as recurrent cancer. Small peritoneal cancer seedings were not detected on CT. CT scanning despite certain limitations is a valuable noninvasive adjunct in the assessment of carcinoma of the ovary and its response to treatment.