HI Taking radiation treatment is recommended for sternum cancer Radiation therapy uses high-energy rays or particles to kill cancer cells. External beam radiation therapy uses radiation delivered from outside the body that is focused on the cancer. This is the type of radiation therapy that has been tried as a treatment for bone cancer. Most bone cancers are not easily killed by radiation, and high doses are needed. These high doses can damage healthy structures like nerves in the nearby area. This is why radiation therapy is not used as a major treatment for most types of bone tumors, (except for Ewing tumors, and these are discussed in a separate document). Often radiation is used to treat bone cancers that are unresectable (they cannot be completely removed by surgery). Radiation may also be used after surgery if cancer cells were present in the edges of the removed tissue. Another term for this is positive margins (this is discussed in the section about surgery). In this case, radiation may be given to kill any cancer that may have been left behind. If the cancer comes back after treatment, radiation can help control symptoms like pain and swelling. Regards DR DE