What Are the Differences Between Chemotherapy and Radiotherapy?

With the increase in various cancer diseases and the patient population, knowledge about the etiology and pathology of these conditions has become increasingly prevalent. Many people are presumably familiar with chemotherapy and radiotherapy. So, what are the differences between them?

Radiotherapy refers to the treatment of tumors by exposing them to radiation to inhibit or kill them. It is a physical treatment method. Chemotherapy, on the other hand, is based on chemical treatment, where chemotherapy drugs are directly administered into the patient's body through intravenous or intracavitary injection to kill tumor cells. The differences between these two methods are as follows:

Radiotherapy has fewer side effects compared to chemotherapy. Chemotherapy can cause local reactions, mainly including allergies, alopecia, bone marrow suppression, nausea and vomiting, sore throat, etc. Chemotherapy not only causes local reactions such as allergies, ulcers, redness, and swelling but also systemic reactions: leukopenia, anemia, decreased red blood cells, appetite loss, weight loss, insomnia, bone pain, depression, anxiety, etc. Radiotherapy does not require hospitalization, and a single session generally takes only 10-20 minutes. However, chemotherapy requires a longer duration of medication administration and has more significant side effects, necessitating hospitalization for observation.

What are the differences between chemotherapy and radiotherapy? Radiotherapy is a local treatment for tumors, such as digestive and respiratory cancers. Chemotherapy has a broad application scope and can be comprehensively used to inhibit the spread and metastasis of cancer cells.