Radiation Therapy The purpose of radiation is to make tumors shrink or disappear.
Radiation does this by damaging the genetic structure (DNA) of the tumor cells so they can't grow or divide. The damage is done by a beam of x-rays, gamma rays or electrons aimed directly at the tumor from a high-energy x-ray machine set up at a specific distance from your body or by radioactive materials placed inside or close to the tumor.
There is no pain or discomfort during radiation therapy. Undergoing treatment is much the same as having a chest x-ray, except the machine is left on for several minutes instead of a second or two. Radiation may be the only treatment needed for some localized cancers, or it might be used along with other kinds of therapy.
Chemotherapy This term is often misunderstood. What it means is treating some medical
condition with chemicals (drugs). Treating cancer with 5-fluorouracil is chemotherapy. So is treating an infection with penicillin or a headache with two aspirins.
Yet when chemotherapy is mentioned in connection with cancer, the term generates a lot of fear. Almost everyone has heard horror stories about serious side effects. These side effects can be unpleasant, but they are in general greatly exaggerated. It's true that a few people cannot tolerate chemical therapy at all. But most can tolerate it reasonably well. Others have moderate to significant reactions. When approaching the subject, also keep in mind that many drugs are used in chemotherapy and not all of them have serious side effects. The side effects themselves can often be reduced or controlled by antinausea drugs or other medications.
