The term chemotherapy refers to the use of anticancer drugs to destroy or disable cancer cells. Usually the drugs are given intravenously, although some chemotherapy drugs can be taken orally. After the drugs enter the bloodstream, they reach throughout the body. Chemotherapy can be effective in destroying cancer cells that break off from the main tumor and travel in the bloodstream to lymph nodes or distant organs. It is often used to treat testicular cancer when it has spread outside the testicle.
There are a variety of drugs and combinations of drugs used in chemotherapy. If you are a candidate for chemotherapy, be sure to discuss the drugs available to you, along with the advantages, disadvantages and side effects of each option.