The success of the Pap smear in screening for cervical cancer illustrates many of the tenets of screening for disease. Unfortunately, no other gynecologic malignancy shares this success. Detection of most gynecologic malignancies occurs once they have become symptomatic and on clinical examination at the interval cancer-related checkup as recommended by the ACS. These examinations, done yearly in women older than 40 and every 3 years in younger women, can go a long way in the detection of genital tract disease. In detecting vulvar neoplasms, visual inspection of the entire perineum coupled with palpation to include Bartholin's glands and early biopsy of suspicious vulvar lesions promotes earlier diagnosis. Self-examination similar to breast self-examination and increased patient awareness are potential education goals for physicians as well as cancer and medical societies. Vaginal examination at the cancer checkup should continue. The finding that most vaginal cancers are picked up by abnormal cytology while they are still asymptomatic argues strongly for Pap testing after menopause. The knowledge that women who are status posthysterectomy for benign disease are not protected from developing vaginal cancers mandates continued Pap testing in this population as well. Because endometrial cancer is common, primary care physicians should maintain a high index of suspicion. Aspiration biopsy is a simple office-based procedure with low risk and good yield, and any woman in the perimenopausal and postmenopausal period who presents with atypical bleeding patterns should be evaluated. Although not recommended as a general screening test, the ACS does advocate endometrial sampling in the high risk woman at the time of menopause. The greatest challenge to primary care physicians may be the early detection of ovarian cancer. No single test is available, nor is any advocated in screening for this lethal disease. Currently, only periodic physical examination is recommended at the cancer checkup interval. Ultrasound, both transabdominal and transvaginal, may help in detecting adnexal masses, but is not sensitive enough to differentiate benign from malignant lesions. In this setting, and in the patient with suspected ovarian cancer, CA 125 and AFP may be helpful in determining which patients require surgical exploration. Women with positive family histories for ovarian cancer require greater vigilance and close follow-up with serial ultrasound and CA 125 determinations. As the population ages, cancer, which is primarily a disease of age, will continue to increase in incidence.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)