Principles of surgical management of ovarian carcinomas

Nearly 80% of the approximately 20,000 women who develop ovarian carcinoma each year in the United States are diagnosed at stages II, III, or IV. The main goals of surgery in these patients are confirmation of diagnosis, accurate staging of the tumor, and reduction of tumor bulk. Among the topics discussed are intraoperative management, differential diagnosis by frozen section, pediatric tumors, ovarian carcinoma during pregnancy, second-look operations, and laparoscopic surgery.