Pre-operative gynecologic evaluation of bariatric surgery patients: improving cancer detection in a high-risk population.

Background: Obesity is strongly associated with endometrial and breast cancers; further, obese women are less likely to undergo recommended cancer screening. The objective was to determine the preoperative practices of bariatric surgeons with regard to gynecologic assessment and cancer screening.

Study Design: A 28-question survey was mailed to 1,503 US bariatric surgeons to assess self-reported perceptions of gynecologic cancer screening, preoperative evaluation of female patients, and gynecologic oncology awareness and knowledge.