Unsuspected genital tract malignancy discovered during or after gynecologic surgery

Preoperative counseling is a fundamental process in surgical practice. Although uncommon, discordance between preoperative and postoperative diagnoses has been observed in surgical practice. This would be a major concern if a serious condition such as malignant disease is noted incidentally. Encountering unexpected cancers during or after an operation may result in suboptimal treatment performed because of the potential of failure to follow standard treatment guidelines for such cancer. In addition, failing to prepare patients for a possibility of unsuspected cancer is an extremely difficult situation and may complicate the relationship with the surgeon. This article focused on the incidence and major causes of unsuspected genital tract malignancies found during or after gynecologic surgery.