However, there is very rarely any peer review of the content of these resources, with the exception of consensus clinical management statements. A further source of competition for medical texts comes from the Cochran centre for evidence based medicine which compiles reviews of clinical management in topics which will in the near future include areas of gynecological oncological management. For many newer medical books desktop publishing has resulted in a more attractive layout, clearer tables and figures, and better indexing. Along with these advances comes better image quality although high costs limit the use of color pictures. These improvements are welcome and have improved the quality of textbooks and made them easier to read and more accessible although there remains a major obstacle.
Most textbooks are out of date by the time of publication and regular updates are necessary.
The Principles and Practice of Gynecologic Oncology has now undergone such an update with the publication of a second edition 5 years after it first appeared. The Principles and Practice of Gynecologic Oncology is aimed at a multidisciplinary postgraduate audience including gynecological oncologists, radiation oncologists, medical oncologists and pathologists. As is often the case the first two sections include topics covered extensively in other general oncological textbooks, which may already be on the shelves of many of the readers. The chapters have for the most part been updated since the 1992 edition but there are few references more recent than 1995 and the fields covered in the basic science section move fast. The standard of illustration and tabulation within these sections is variable and rather disappointing when compared to other recently published textbooks.