The injected drugs zero in on fast splitting cells. Cancer cells are fast splitting cells as are hair cells. Chemotherapy drugs cannot discern between the two and this is the main reason why persons on chemotherapy lose their hair. It may be used prior to surgery to shrink tumors or after surgery to kill any remaining cancer cells that surgery couldn't remove. Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill cancer cells and is administered in pill form or via iv injection into the body in the vein or muscle.
Radiation uses x-rays or high energy rays to kill the cancer cells and shrink tumors.
You should discuss all forms of treatment with your Doctor and together decide which treatment plan to use. The side effects vary from patient to patient and depend on things such as dosage strength, frequency of the treatments, and in the case of chemotherapy, metabolism. This is something you should discuss with a health professional. The American cancer Society estimates that over a lifetime one in two men and one in three women will develop the disease in one form or another. Yes although the number of cases have risen the death rate has decreased since 1991.