The accurate staging of ovarian cancer is of great significance. This is mainly because: 1) stage is the most important factor affecting the prognosis of ovarian cancer, and it is clear from the table in this article that survival is significantly different for different stages; 2) stage is the primary basis for treatment plan selection, and there are significant differences in treatment strategies, scope of surgery and number of chemotherapy courses for early and advanced stages, as well as differences in treatment principles for early-stage ovarian cancer in different sub-stages (see my other (see my other articles). The most commonly used clinical staging of ovarian malignancies is the “surgical pathology staging” revised by the Federation of Gynecologists and Obstetrics (FIGO) in 1988. As the name implies, accurate staging of ovarian cancer is possible only after a standardized and comprehensive surgery. In clinical practice, surgery for early-stage ovarian cancer is even referred to as “staging surgery”. For early-stage ovarian cancer, if the initial surgical staging is not comprehensive, “re-staging surgery” is required before chemotherapy. Even in advanced stage ovarian cancer, the purpose of surgery is not only to maximize tumor reduction, but also to clarify staging is one of the most important purposes. Thus, we can see the importance of accurate staging of ovarian cancer. Or in other words, accurate staging is the most important prerequisite for ovarian cancer patients to obtain a good outcome. In addition, the TMN staging of ovarian cancer developed by the International union against cancer (UICC) is also used clinically, in which the staging of the primary tumor is based on the FIGO staging. The table below shows the FIGO and TNM stages of ovarian cancer in 1988 and the 5-year survival rates corresponding to each stage (5-year survival rates are cited from: Chan JK et al: Gynecol Oncol 2008).