Book excerpt: Offering practical approaches to common clinical problems, Gynecologic Radiation Oncology: A Practical Guide compiles the extensive clinical experience of Drs. Patricia J. Eifel and Ann H. Klopp from MD Anderson Cancer Center into one user-friendly volume. This reference addresses practical aspects of the field: how to evaluate the role of radiation therapy in various clinical settings, how to explain the rationale for treatment recommendations to referring physicians and patients, when and how to apply various external beam and brachytherapy techniques to address specific clinical problems, and how to monitor and manage patients during and after treatment. The book focuses on the following items, which can have immediate application to the treatment of patients with gynecologic cancers.