Chemotherapy has two main distinguishing factors.

First, it uses specialized drugs

that are designed to target and kill cells that divide rapidly (like cancer cells).
Second, these drugs work throughout the entire body, not just one specific part, so
they can prevent cancer cells from spreading to other parts of the body.

Because chemotherapy affects all cells in the body, it can cause side effects
outside of where the cancer is located. While every type of chemotherapy carries
its own set of risks and side effects, every person may also experience treatment
differently. That said, according to the American Cancer Society, some of the most
commonly reported side effects from chemotherapy include:

Fatigue
Hair loss
Easy bruising and bleeding
Infection
Anemia (low red blood cell counts)
Nausea and vomiting
Appetite changes
Constipation
Diarrhea
Mouth, tongue, and throat problems such as sores and pain with swallowing
Nerve and muscle problems such as numbness, tingling, and pain
Skin and nail changes such as dry skin and color change
Urine and bladder changes and kidney problems
Weight changes
"Chemo brain, "which is related to symptoms of decreased concentration and focus
Mood changes
Changes in libido and sexual function
Fertility problems
There are many different types and forms of chemotherapy. It can be delivered as an
outpatient procedure, in a hospital, a doctor's office or even at home through an
IV, taken by mouth, by injection, or a direct skin application.

Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy works much differently. While chemotherapy delivers drugs to the
entire body, radiation aims to only target the specific area of the body where
there are cancerous cells, and aims to reduce the number of healthy cells that are
affected during treatment.

Instead of "killing" the cells themselves, radiation acts to damage the DNA of the
target cancer cells, which causes them to die as a result. While the treatment will
also affect the healthy cells surrounding the cancer cells, the healthy cells will
generally repair the DNA damage and heal themselves after treatment.

When it comes to side effects, radiation therapy is a little different than

chemotherapy in that it only causes side effects in the area being treated (with
the exception of fatigue), and generally has risk for both early and late side
effects. Early side effects present during or shortly after treatment and tend to
be short-term, mild and treatable.

The American Cancer Society lists these common early side effects of radiation
therapy:

Fatigue (feeling tired)

Skin changes
Location-specific side effects, such as hair loss or mouth problems if radiation is
received in that area