What Is The Difference Between Chemotherapy And Radiation Treatment? Research Paper Examples

Chemotherapy and radiation treatment are two common treatment options, used for cancer. The choice of treatment is made considering the type of cancer, stage of diagnosis and overall health of the patient.
Chemotherapy refers to use of cytotoxic antineoplastic drugs to destroy or reduce the multiplication of cancerous cell. These drugs target the DNA or the enzymes of cancer cells that have fast multiplication rate. However in the process of killing the cancerous cell, the drug can also kill other cells in the body that have fast multiplication rate, like the healthy cells seen in: gastrointestinal epithelium, bone marrow, hair follicles etc. It can also adversely affect the growth of children, gamete formation and foetus of pregnant women. Chemotherapy is more effective in suspended tumours like leukaemia, than in solid tumour. Only rapidly multiplying tumour cells are destroyed by these drug, while those tumour cells in quiescent state of cell cycle, escape chemotherapy. Alkylating agents, antimetabolites, cytotoxic antibiotics, plant derivatives and hormones are used in chemotherapy. Example of few chemotherapy drugs are: Pentostatin, 6 –Mercaptopurine, Methotrexate, Cytorabine, Crisantaspase, 5-Flurouracil, Bleomycin, Mitomycin, Cisplastin, Doxorubicin, Dactinomycin, Taxanes, Vinca alkaloid, Tamoxifen etc.
Radiation refer to the targeted use of high energy radiation, to destroy cancerous cells. Very often, these radiation have to pass through the skin to reach internal tumours. Radiations destroy the DNA of the cell, causing it to die. The side effects of radiation are usually restricted to the area of the skin or region receiving the radiation. There are different forms of radiation like: external beam radiation, stereotactic radiation, HDR brachytherapy. In certain cases radiation is used to cure, while in most cases it is used to reduce symptoms by reducing the size of the tumour. Radiation is not suitable for curing highly metastasised tumour. Two third of the cancer patients receive radiation therapy. The choice of treatment is done weighing the benefit over the side-effect. Most patients require a combination of radiation, chemotherapy and surgery for effective cancer cure.

Bibliography:

Southeast Radiation Oncology Group, P.A. - SERO - Treat Cancer,. (2014). The Difference Between Chemotherapy and Radiation - Southeast Radiation Oncology Group, P.A. - SERO - Treat Cancer. Retrieved 14 April 2015, from http://www.treatcancer.com/blog/difference-chemotherapy-radiation/
Dollinger, M., Rosenbaum, E., Cable, G., & Dollinger, M. (1994). Cancer therapy. Kansas City: Andrews and McMeel.