Radiation Therapy in Tumours of Bone

Radiation can be shown to produce satisfactory results in the treatment of simple bone cyst, chondroma, angioma, and benign giant-cell tumour. It is of particular value in benign giant-cell tumour where there are grounds for the opinion that it should largely replace surgical methods. Surgery remains the methods of choice in the treatment of osteogenic sarcoma but where the lesion is inaccessible growth restraint may be obtained by the use of X-ray therapy. Radiation, as a palliative measure, is of definite value in the treatment of bone metastases. Myelomata are uniformly responsive to X-ray therapy, which is capable of prolonging life and relieving pain in these cases. It is probable that radiation therapy is superior to surgery in treatment of Ewing's tumour if the diagnosis be made at an early stage of the disease. Direct invasion of the bone by tumour should not be considered a contra-indication to radiation therapy, particularly if the tumour is of a type known to be radio-sensitive.