Staging ovarian cancer: role of imaging

Computed tomography is currently the primary modality used to stage ovarian cancer. The typical imaging findings in ovarian cancer are complex pelvic masses, ascites, omental cake, and other peritoneal implants. The responsibility of the radiologist is to detect and characterize adnexal masses as likely malignant, recognize unusual findings that may suggest a typical pathology, demonstrate metastases in order to prevent under-staging, and detect specific sites of disease that may be unresectable. These aims directly influence clinical management, and radiology plays a key role in optimizing patient-specific care.