The efficacy of prehysterectomy curettage in ruling out an endometrial cancer was evaluated in three ways. First, by an evaluation of the extent of routine prehysterectomy curettage; second, by the assessment of the clinicians' ability to recognize endometrial cancer on the basis of curettings; and third, by evaluating the presence of a gross endometrial lesion in those uteri removed without a preoperative diagnosis of an endometrial malignancy. It was concluded that the examination of the opened excised uterus was more valuable than prehysterectomy curettage for the operative diagnosis of an endometrial malignancy.