I've always thought the words were synonymous. The two treatments are different. The purpose for the x-rays is to destroy the cancer cells. Radiation therapy is very effective in the local treatment of a cancer at the place where it is located in the body. Chemotherapy is given either by mouth, or intravenous, and it's purpose is to provide systemic treatment to try to treat a cancer which either has or could possibly spread elsewhere in the body.
Chemotherapy are chemicals which kill cancer cells.
Breast cancer is an incredibly common disease, and in fact, is an epidemic. Much of what we have learned, in treating women, with breast cancer, has been carried over to the treatment of people with other types of cancer. This basic concept of this therapy has been carried over, to treating people with lung cancer, colon cancer, and bladder cancer, for example. However, some cancers require only chemotherapy or only radiation therapy, but in most cancers, in modern day treatment, it usually is a combined approach. Welcome to this third in a series of four special live discussion forums in honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.