Mia St John

Professor Berz
English 1180
October 9th, 2016
Chemotherapy vs Radiation
There are many different treatment options to choose from when
someone has been diagnosed with cancer. The two most popular forms of
treatment used today are chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
Chemotherapy, chemo in short, is the use of medicines or drugs to treat
cancer. Radiation therapy is the treatment of disease using x-rays or similar
forms of radiation. Both of these treatments have similar objectives,
methods, and side effects that patients should be aware of before receiving
either forms of treatment.
The goals of chemotherapy are to cure, control, and palliate. There are
no guarantees that chemo will cure a persons cancer, but that is the main
objective. If the curative purposes are not an option, then it is used to control
someones cancer. The chemo shrinks a tumor and stops it from growing and
spreading throughout the body. Chemotherapy is also used to ease the
symptoms caused by cancer. An example would be shrinking a tumor that is
causing pain or pressure. These goals all help in the process of healing a
patient of cancer.
When someone decides chemotherapy is the best treatment for
themselves, there are many different factors that fall into its methods and

administration. The oncologist decides the dosage, and what drugs are
given. This all depends on what type of cancer someone has, how big it is,
and how its effecting the persons overall health. Chemotherapy is also
administered in many different ways. The most common methods are orally,
intramuscular injections, intravenous treatments, intraperitoneal chemo, and
intra-arterial chemo. Oral chemotherapy is given in a pill or tablet form,
which then can be absorbed through the stomach. Some medications cant
be given orally because the acids in the stomach destroys them.
Intramuscular injections are given in a large needle through the skin into the
muscle layer. Intramuscular injections are a popular method of anti-nausea
medications

because the stomach is

usually

already irritated. Most

chemotherapies cannot be given intramuscularly because of the harshness

of the chemical. Intravenous treatments are the most common method. A
catheter or a PICC line is inserted into a vein in the arm or hand, and the
medication is absorbed in the bloodstream. Intravenous treatments offer the
fastest absorption rate. Intraperitoneal chemotherapy is given directly to the
abdominal cavity. A catheter is placed through the abdominal wall and the
catheter drains into the cavity that surrounds the organs. This method allows
for the organs to be bathed in the medication. Intra-arterial chemotherapy is
given into the artery that is supplying blood to the tumor. Two ways
medication is given this way is an external catheter, or an implanted pump.
These are just a few of the many ways chemotherapy is administered.

Cancer cells divide very fast and destroy body tissue. Chemo drugs are
designed to kill fast growing cells, which means it can affect healthy cells as
well. The cells that are most likely damaged from chemo are blood forming
cells in bone marrow, hair follicles, cells in the mouth, digestive tract, and
reproductive system. Oncologists try and give an effective dosage that will
keep side effects to a minimum. Unfortunately, side effects do happen in
some patients. They are different in everyone but some common ones
include fatigue, hair loss, easy bruising and bleeding, nausea, appetite
changes, weight changes, and mood changes. There are different types of
medications patients can take to counteract side effects.
The goal of radiation is to shrink tumors and kill cancer cells. Radiation
therapy kills cancer cells by damaging their DNA, so they cant divide and
grow. Radiation therapy is also used to stop cancer from reoccurring
somewhere else. Doctors often assume that a few cancer cells might already
spread around even if they dont show on scans. They may then suggest
preventative radiation for future cancers. Radiation therapy is also used to
treat symptoms caused by advanced cancer. Sometimes cancer can spread
too far to be cured. Oncologists will shrink tumors for those patients if they
are causing pain, trouble breathing, etc. These methods all help to shrink and
kill cancer cells.
Radiation therapy uses high energy levels to destroy fast growing cells
and shrink tumors. It can be used alone, or in a combination with
chemotherapy or surgery. Radiation doses are measured in a unit called gray

(Gy). This is the amount of radiation energy absorbed by one kilogram of

human tissue. Different doses of radiation are needed to kill different types
of cancer. There are two types of ways a person can receive radiation
therapy. External beam radiation is when therapy is delivered by a machine
outside the body. The device used to give radiation therapy to patients is
called

linear

accelerator

(LINAC).

Internal

radiation

therapy,

or

Brachytherapy, is when radioactive material is placed in the body near the

tumor. This form delivers a high dose of radiation directly to the cancer.
Just like chemotherapy, radiation also causes side effects. Radiation
can damage healthy cells and destroy body tissue. If an area in the body has
previously been treated with radiation therapy, the patient may not be able
to have treatment in that area a second time, depending on the dosage.
Most reactions often start during the second or the third week of treatment.
The most common side effects are fatigue, skin problems like dryness and
itching, nausea, difficulty swallowing, shortness of breath, and swelling. Side
effects of radiation happen in about 75% of patients who receive the therapy.
Some people may say that chemotherapy or radiation are not the best
options available for someone who has been diagnosed with cancer. They
may argue that these two treatments will make a patient feel worse and
probably bring up the side effects as their argument. Studies have proven
that chemotherapy and radiation are the best two options for someone with
cancer. They destroy cancer cells, shrink existing tumors, and prevent cancer
cells from dividing and multiplying throughout the body. The treatments slow

down the progression of the disease to help extend life. These therapies are
considered the best option for those diagnosed with the awful disease until
we have a cure.
When a patient has been diagnosed with cancer, they have many
treatment options available to them. The most common types are
chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

They both are very similar in many

different ways. They have the same objective and purpose, to shrink tumors,
and kill cancer cells. They also have different types of methods with different
doses. The doses all depend on the individual and what kind of cancer they
have. Lastly, they both unfortunately produce side effects. Not all patients
are subject to these, but they do occur in some people. Both have
medications to help reduce these side effects caused by the therapies.
Radiation and chemotherapy are both meant to help cancer patients and are
good ways to control the disease.

Sources cited:
http://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatmentsandsideeffects/treatmenttypes/c
hemotherapy/chemotherapy-landing

https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/types/radiationtherapy/radiation-fact-sheet