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Is radiation worse than chemo?

Radiation focuses on just one part of your body. Chemotherapy (chemo) goes throughout the entire body. Because of this, you may experience fewer side effects with radiation than with chemo. Many side effects you might have with radiation depend on the area being treated. Some include:

  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Diarrhea
  • Skin changes
  • Hair loss
  • Fatigue
  • Sexual dysfunction

You might need to have both radiation and chemo to treat your cancer in some cases.

* Savings estimate based on a study of more than 1 billion claims comparing self-pay (or cash pay) prices of a frequency-weighted market basket of procedures to insurer-negotiated rates for the same. Claims were collected between July 2017 and July 2019. R.Lawrence Van Horn, Arthur Laffer, Robert L.Metcalf. 2019. The Transformative Potential for Price Transparency in Healthcare: Benefits for Consumers and Providers. Health Management Policy and Innovation, Volume 4, Issue 3.

Sidecar Health offers and administers a variety of plans including ACA compliant and excepted benefit plans. Coverage and plan options may vary or may not be available in all states.

Your actual costs may be higher or lower than these cost estimates. Check with your provider and health plan details to confirm the costs that you may be charged for a service or procedure.You are responsible for costs that are not covered and for getting any pre-authorizations or referrals required by your health plan. Neither payments nor benefits are guaranteed. Provider data, including price data, provided in part by Turquoise Health.

The site is not a substitute for medical or healthcare advice and does not serve as a recommendation for a particular provider or type of medical or healthcare.