Purpose of reviewSex cord-stromal tumours (SCSTs) are rare ovarian cancers. As in the literature, only small case series or case reports are published, gathering solid evidence about their management is challenging. Surgery plays a pivotal role, and accurate staging is one of the most important prognostic factors. This review focuses on the current evidence for surgical staging in the management of SCSTs.
Recent findingsStaging procedures have been inferred by epithelial ovarian cancers; however, they are often only partially performed, and most SCSTs therefore end up incompletely staged, raising the issue of the need for restaging or further treatments. In addition, some parts of the staging procedure have been questioned over the years, and lymphadenectomy is now considered unnecessary for SCSTs. The generally favourable prognosis of SCSTs, the introduction of minimally invasive surgery and fertilitysparing approaches is empowering the question of which staging procedures are beneficial for these patients. We reviewed the role of each staging procedure proposed by the guidelines in light of new scientific updates.