What is chemotherapy radiation?

What is chemotherapy radiation?

Chemotherapy and radiation therapy are both treatments for cancer – the uncontrolled growth and spread of cells to surrounding tissues. Chemotherapy, or “chemo,” uses special drugs to shrink or kill cancer cells. Radiation therapy, or “radiation,” kills these cells with high-energy beams such as X-rays or protons.

Why is chemotherapy given radiation?

In the treatment called chemo-radiation, you will get both chemotherapy and radiation at the same time. Chemotherapy weakens the cancer cells which helps radiation to work better. Your treatment team consists of your medical oncologist and your radiation oncologist.

What exactly is radiation for cancer?

Radiation therapy (also called radiotherapy) is a cancer treatment that uses high doses of radiation to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. At low doses, radiation is used in x-rays to see inside your body, as with x-rays of your teeth or broken bones.

What is meant by chemoradiation?

Listen to pronunciation. (KEE-moh-RAY-dee-AY-shun) Treatment that combines chemotherapy with radiation therapy. Also called chemoradiotherapy.

What are the types of chemotherapy?

Types of chemotherapy drugs

  • Alkylating agents. This group of medicines works directly on DNA to keep the cell from reproducing itself.
  • Nitrosoureas.
  • Anti-metabolites.
  • Plant alkaloids and natural products.
  • Anti-tumor antibiotics.
  • Hormonal agents.
  • Biological response modifiers.

What does chemotherapy use?

Chemotherapy is a drug treatment that uses powerful chemicals to kill fast-growing cells in your body. Chemotherapy is most often used to treat cancer, since cancer cells grow and multiply much more quickly than most cells in the body. Many different chemotherapy drugs are available.

Which is worse chemo or radiation?

The radiation beams change the DNA makeup of the tumor, causing it to shrink or die. This type of cancer treatment has fewer side effects than chemotherapy since it only targets one area of the body.

How long is chemo and radiation?

The number of cycles in a regimen and the total time of each regimen varies depending on the medicines used, but most regimens take 3 to 6 months to complete.

Is radiation therapy better than chemotherapy?

What is chemotherapy side effects?

Here’s a list of many of the common side effects, but it’s unlikely you’ll have all of these.

  • Tiredness. Tiredness (fatigue) is one of the most common side effects of chemotherapy.
  • Feeling and being sick.
  • Hair loss.
  • Infections.
  • Anaemia.
  • Bruising and bleeding.
  • Sore mouth.
  • Loss of appetite.

What are risks of chemotherapy?

Diarrhea. Mouth, tongue, and throat problems such as sores and pain with swallowing. Peripheral neuropathy or other nerve problems, such as numbness, tingling, and pain. Skin and nail changes such as dry skin and color change.