Chemotherapy vs. radiation therapy

 Chemo- and radiation therapy are both treatments for cancer. Both these treatment procedures help kill or control the growth of cancer cells. While they share the same goal that is to shrink the tumors and lessen the pain and associated symptoms, they use different approaches.

Chemotherapy is a drug treatment that helps kill fast-spreading cancer cells in the body. They use powerful drugs that kill the cells. This treatment can be given in the form of an IV, which is a needle or a tube directly inserted into a blood vessel, orally or with an injection.

On the other hand, radiation therapy involves high-energy beams such as X-rays or protons to kill these cells. It could be done through an external radiation method, which involves a machine that triggers invisible high-energy beams into the tumor from the outside or internal radiation method, also known as brachytherapy, in which a radioactive object is placed inside the body near the tumor.

Systemic radiation is a less common method in which a radioactive substance is given in the form of a pill, or an injection or a port into the veins.

While chemotherapy and radiation therapy help kill cancerous cells and stop them from becoming inoperable tumors, it can come with several side effects that can take a toll on one's health, interfering with day to day functions.

Some of the possible side effects include:

- Extreme fatigue and tiredness

- Nausea and vomiting

- Hair loss

- Gastrointestinal issues such as diarrhea

- Changes in skin

- Anemia, which is low red blood cell count

Also, given that radiation is a targeted therapy, it may focus on a particular area where the tumor is located, which may lead to more side effects in that spot.