STAGING OF OVARIAN CANCER

My mum was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in December last year.  We asked her doctor what stages she was in and whether it had spread, he couldn't confirm anything.   He mentioned that it could be in the 3rd stages because of the size of the tumor.  He also mentioned that they would only be able to tell if the cancer had spread when she goes in for surgery and they would have to remove some tissue samples from the nearby organs for testing.  The doctor cannot do surgery on my mom right now because the tumor is situated close to the vital organs.  He has recommended at least 3 treatments of chemo to try to shrink the tumor and will continue to do a ct scan after each treatment before they proceed with surgery.  What are the chances for my Mum?  if the Doctor has not opt for surgery first, does this mean that he is telling us subtly that it is too late for my mum?

[dian07]

No....he is not telling you it is too late for your mom.  They are simply trying to shrink the tumor in order to make it easier to remove  without damaging any other organ.    Sounds to me like she has a good doctor as he is following her closely and not taking any unnecessary risks.  
I hope your mom's surgeon is a gyn/oncologist as this is their arena of specialty.....they are trained specifically for this type situation and , thus, will provide your mom the best outcome.  
If you aren't seeing a gyn/oncologist you need to be....it's very important.
Please keep us posted.
Peace.
dian