The occurrence of cancer will pose a great threat to the health of the human body, because cancer cells will gradually spread to other parts over time, so patients need to improve the disease in a reasonable way in time to inhibit the spread of cancer cells.
If the cancer has not metastasized or spread, surgery can be performed to remove the disease. In addition, the progression of the disease can be controlled by radiotherapy and chemotherapy. These two treatments are not the same thing, they are different in the following aspects, and it is important to distinguish between them.
First, the scope of treatment is different
Generally speaking, the most obvious difference between radiotherapy and chemotherapy is that the scope of treatment is different, among which chemotherapy is more suitable for systemic treatment, mainly because after the chemical drug enters the human body, it will spread to every part of the body with the direction of blood circulation, thereby effectively inhibiting the metastasis of cancer cells.
However, compared with chemotherapy, radiotherapy is more used to treat the specific area as a local treatment. Before chemotherapy, the doctor will determine the location and size of the cancer cells through imaging tests, and then focus on radiation therapy after setting the target area.
2. Different types of cancer are applicable
Radiotherapy and chemotherapy are suitable for different types of cancer, although both treatments can treat more complex cancer types, but chemotherapy is more suitable for the treatment of systemic cancers, such as lymphoma, blood cancer, etc.
These systemic cancers are sensitive to the use of chemotherapy drugs and can therefore be improved by chemotherapy. In contrast, radiotherapy is more effective for skin cancer, esophageal cancer and stomach cancer, and can be used as an adjunct to treat diseases.
3. The side effects are different
Compared with chemotherapy, radiotherapy is the treatment of local tissues and organs, with fewer side effects and no adverse symptoms throughout the body.
However, the side effects of chemotherapy are very obvious, and patients will have different degrees of systemic reactions after surgery, such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
Fourth, the operation method is different
Chemotherapy and radiotherapy differ in terms of specific methods of operation, in which chemotherapy is mainly used to treat the disease by intravenous infusion of chemical drugs or oral chemical drugs.
These drugs can effectively enter the bloodstream and gradually deliver to various parts of the body, thereby eliminating cancer cells and inhibiting the metastasis and spread of cancer cells.
Radiotherapy, on the other hand, is a different treatment in that it uses radiation to reduce the size of cancer cells, thereby inhibiting the development of cancer cells, and if necessary, eliminating part of the cancer cells.
However, because radiation therapy is mainly aimed at local cells, other treatments may need to be continued later in order to completely eliminate the disease.
These are the four main differences between radiotherapy and chemotherapy. It can be seen that radiotherapy and chemotherapy are essentially two different treatments, and patients should carefully distinguish between them, and before the formal treatment, the patient should communicate with the doctor in a timely manner, and the doctor will decide which treatment plan to take in the end.
However, whether it is radiotherapy or chemotherapy, it is necessary to strengthen postoperative care, pay attention to rest, and ensure a light diet, so as to reduce the damage to the body from surgery.