Surgery is the primary treatment modality in a selected group of patients with primary carcinomas of the vulva and cervix. Carcinoma of the endometrium may be treated with both irradiation therapy and surgical excision; whereas carcinoma of the ovary requires surgical excision followed by chemotherapy or irradiation. The new frontier in surgical management for gynecologic malignancies is one of an adjuvant role. Surgery combined with chemotherapy or irradiation, or both, offers a wide range of treatment options with the possibility of improved tumor control rates and decrease in damage to normal tissues. A brief update on the role of surgery in the treatment of gynecologic malignancies is presented.