Which has more side effects chemo or radiation?
Radiation therapy involves giving high doses of radiation beams directly into a tumor. 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.
What comes first chemo or radiation?
Giving Chemo and Radiation Therapy at Same Time Offers Same Benefits as Sequential Timing. If early-stage breast cancer is going to be treated with both chemotherapy and external beam radiation therapy, chemotherapy usually is given first. Radiation generally starts after chemotherapy is done.
Which is better for you chemo or radiation?
While chemotherapy delivers drugs to the entire body, radiation aims to only target the specific area of the body where there are cancerous cells, and aims to reduce the number of healthy cells that are affected during treatment.
What are the most common side effects of radiation therapy?
The most common early side effects are fatigue (feeling tired) and skin changes. Other early side effects usually are related to the area being treated, such as hair loss and mouth problems when radiation treatment is given to this area. Late side effects can take months or even years to develop.
Is chemo radiation painful?
Chemotherapy and radiation destroy cancer cells. They also destroy normal cells in the process. These include cells of the protective lining of the mouth and the gastrointestinal tract. This can cause sores in the mouth and/or throat that are painful.
What happens if I refuse radiation treatment?
Patients who refuse recommended adjuvant radiation therapy have unacceptably high rates of local recurrence. Omission of radiation for advanced age alone is associated with local recurrence rates comparable to those for younger patients.
What are signs that chemo is working?
How Can We Tell if Chemotherapy is Working?
- A lump or tumor involving some lymph nodes can be felt and measured externally by physical examination.
- Some internal cancer tumors will show up on an x-ray or CT scan and can be measured with a ruler.
- Blood tests, including those that measure organ function can be performed.
How many rounds of chemo is normal?
During a course of treatment, you usually have around 4 to 8 cycles of treatment. A cycle is the time between one round of treatment until the start of the next. After each round of treatment you have a break, to allow your body to recover.
Can you drive after radiation treatment?
Will I be able to drive after my radiotherapy treatment? Almost all patients are able to drive while receiving radiotherapy treatment. However, with some types of cancer, driving may NOT be recommended due to fatigue or strong pain medication.