Chemotherapy vs Radiotherapy | Dr. Debdeep Samaddar | Manipal Hospital Broadway
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Dr. Debdeep Samaddar from Manipal Hospital Broadway clarifies that chemotherapy and radiotherapy are distinct treatments often confused by patients. Chemotherapy is administered by medical oncologists in the form of injections or tablets, allowing the medication to circulate throughout the entire body via the bloodstream. Because it affects every part of the system, this systemic approach targets cancer cells but also impacts healthy tissues, leading to common side effects such as vomiting, oral ulcers, diarrhea, fever, and a drop in blood counts.
The application of chemotherapy is primarily determined by the stage of the cancer and specific treatment goals. It is frequently used in early-stage cancers where microscopic metastases are suspected but not yet visible on scans, effectively eliminating these hidden cells. Additionally, it serves as a palliative measure for stage four cancers where surgery or radiation is no longer viable options, or it acts as an adjuvant therapy to shrink tumors before subsequent surgical or radiation procedures.
In contrast, radiotherapy is delivered by radiation oncologists using high-energy beams that focus on a specific localized area of the body where the tumor resides. This precision ensures that the treatment targets cancer cells while sparing the rest of the body from systemic effects, resulting in side effects that are limited to the treated region, such as skin reactions. Radiation is typically employed for early-stage cancers that are not suitable for surgery or for tumors that are highly sensitive to radiation, and it can also be used in advanced stages to reduce tumor size and provide symptomatic relief when a cure is no longer possible.
Ultimately, the choice between these two modalities depends on whether the treatment needs to be systemic or localized. Chemotherapy works throughout the whole body to address widespread or microscopic disease, whereas radiotherapy offers a precise intervention to deliver the best outcome for specific areas. While both aim to kill cancer cells, their mechanisms and side effect profiles differ significantly, with chemotherapy causing generalized effects due to its distribution across the body and radiation causing only local effects confined to the targeted site.
Read the full video transcript
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>> Hello everyone. I'm Dr. Debdeep Samanta,
Associate Consultant in the Department
of Medical Oncology at Manipal Hospital
Broadway. One of the very frequent
questions we get to know from our
patients that whether chemotherapy and
radiotherapy are same. The answer is no.
First of all, chemotherapy is given by a
medical oncologist, which usually deals
by us. So, what we do by chemotherapy?
So, chemotherapy is just in other form
of medicines, which usually we gives in
the form of injection or in the form of
tablet. And this usually goes through in
the all parts of our body. So, it
doesn't only kill the cancer cells. It
also goes to different normal parts of
our body and also it cause side effects
to our normal parts of body like
vomiting,
oral mucosal ulcer, loose motions,
fever,
you know, dropping our blood counts and
so and so.
Uh where we give chemotherapy? So, we
give chemotherapy in early stage cancers
where we are suspecting micro
metastasis. That means we don't see the
cancer cells in the scans, but there are
some micro cells which are not visible.
That can be killed by cancers by
chemotherapy. On the other hand, in
stage four cancer where we can't do
surgery or radiotherapy or any other
form of treatment, we give chemotherapy
so that the chemotherapy will goes in
different parts of our body and kills
the cancer cells. And also in some early
stage cancers where we require surgery
or radiation later, we give chemotherapy
to cut down the size of the tumor.
Now, coming to the radiotherapy. So, a
radiotherapy is given by our radiation
oncology colleagues. So, in
radiotherapy, usually we give high form
of energy through the beam and it is a
form of localized treatment where we
particularly choose a area of our body
where the cancer is there. We give
certain We give this high energy
radiation, which kills the cancer cells.
Now, we have to understand that
radiation is a precise form of
treatment. That means it doesn't go in
all our body. So, the side effects are
usually local. That may be skin
reactions. That may be related to the
side effects to the concerned area, not
the all all of the body. So, obviously,
the side effects are limited. Now, where
we give radiation? Radiations are
usually given in early stage cancers,
where we can't do surgery or there are
certain cancers which are extremely
radiosensitive, where we may not do a
surgery. Only radiation can help. Also,
in stage four cancers, we give
radiation, where we know we can't cure
the cancer, but by giving radiation, we
can cut down certain size of the tumor,
which can give the symptomatic relief to
the patients. So, in a simpler way,
chemotherapy usually works in whole our
throughout our body, whereas radiation
usually have a precise form of treatment
to deliver the best outcome. Thank you.