Radiation Oncology vs. Chemotherapy: What's the Difference?

What is Radiation Oncology?

Radiation oncology is a way to treat cancer using radiation energy. Radiation oncology devices use computer guidance to send intense beams of radiation into tumors. This process damages the DNA of cancer cells, killing them. Newer forms of radiation are extremely precise and cause minimal damage to cells outside the tumor. 

Radiation Oncology vs. Chemotherapy: What’s the Difference?

The primary difference between radiation oncology and chemotherapy is how they work. Radiation works using energy that damages cancer cells, while chemotherapy eliminates cancer cells with chemical treatments. Both are effective ways to stop cancer cells from dividing. When these cells cannot divide, tumors stop growing and may shrink. 

The administration of these treatments is very different. You may take chemotherapy as a pill or visit your provider for IV treatments. For radiation treatments, your provider uses a computer-guided machine that emits tightly focused beams of energy. You will not feel this energy while it works. 

These treatments also address different types of cancer. Radiation and chemotherapy are two of the most common cancer treatments; some people will receive both. However, radiation therapy is more effective for solid tumors that can be targeted by radiation energy, while chemotherapy can travel through the blood to wherever cancer cells may be located. 

Today’s chemotherapy and radiation oncology have fewer side effects than older treatments. However, both can have side effects. The side effects of chemotherapy often affect areas like the hair and digestive system that have rapidly dividing cells. Radiation therapy is more likely to cause localized effects in the treatment area.