Treatment for testicular cancer
Chemotherapy uses anti cancer (cytotoxic) drugs to destroy cancer cells. The drugs circulate around your body in the bloodstream.
You might have chemotherapy if you have a higher risk of your cancer coming back. Or if your cancer has already spread to other parts of the body. You usually have a combination of chemotherapy drugs.
You have the drugs into your bloodstream by injection or through a drip (intravenously).
You might have chemotherapy to:
help prevent the cancer coming back after you've had surgery to remove a testicle (this is called adjuvant chemotherapy)
treat cancer that has come back (relapsed) after initial treatment
treat cancer that has spread outside the testicle
If your cancer comes back you might have high-dose chemotherapy with . Your doctor will give you more information about this if they recommend this treatment for you.
You usually have a combination of drugs to treat testicular cancer. Or you might have a drug called carboplatin on its own. Chemotherapy combination drugs include:
bleomycin, etoposide and cisplatin (BEP)
etoposide and cisplatin (EP)
vinblastine, ifosfamide, cisplatin (VeIP)
etoposide, ifosfamide, cisplatin (VIP)
paclitaxel (Taxol), ifosfamide, cisplatin (TIP)
gemcitabine, ifosfamide and cisplatin (GIP)
Check the name of the chemotherapy treatment with your doctor or nurse. Then you can find out about it on our A to Z list of cancer drugs.
You usually have several types of chemotherapy drugs together. You have them into your bloodstream (intravenously).
You have treatment through a thin short tube (a cannula) that goes into a vein in your arm each time you have treatment.
You usually have chemotherapy as a course of several cycles of treatment. A cycle of treatment is the time between 1 round of treatment and the start of another. Usually each treatment cycle lasts 3 weeks (21 days).
You have chemotherapy on set days of each cycle.
The number of cycles you have depends on:
whether your cancer has spread
where it has spread to
your blood test results
how well your cancer responds to the drugs
Having chemotherapy can increase your risk of developing blood clots. Your risk will depend on your situation.
Your doctor might suggest you take a drug to lower your risk of developing a blood clot. They will tell you about the benefits and possible problems of taking medicines to lower your risk.
You usually have treatment into your bloodstream at the cancer day clinic. You might sit in a chair for a few hours so it’s a good idea to take things in to do. For example, newspapers, books or electronic devices can all help to pass the time. You can usually bring a friend or family member with you.
You have some types of chemotherapy over several days. You might be able to have some drugs through a small portable pump that you take home.
For some types of chemotherapy you have to stay in a hospital ward. This could be overnight or for a couple of days.
Some hospitals may give certain chemotherapy treatments to you at home. Your doctor or nurse can tell you more about this.
Watch the video below about what happens when you have chemotherapy. It is almost 3 minutes long.
You need to have blood tests to make sure it’s safe to start treatment. You usually have these a few days before or on the day you start treatment. You have blood tests before each round or cycle of treatment.
Your blood cells need to recover from your last treatment before you have more chemotherapy. Sometimes your blood counts are not high enough to have chemotherapy. If this happens, your doctor usually delays your next treatment. They will tell you when to repeat the blood test.
Your doctors and pharmacists work out your chemotherapy dose based on your blood cell levels, and your weight, height and general health.
Before your first chemotherapy, your doctor will explain what drugs you need, how you have them, and what the side effects are. You’ll sign a consent form. This is a good time to ask any questions you might have.
Your doctor might arrange for you to have a hearing test and lung tests. Some chemotherapy drugs for testicular cancer can affect your hearing and how well your lungs work.
Common chemotherapy side effects include:
feeling sick
loss of appetite
losing weight
feeling very tired
increased risk of getting an infection
bleeding and bruising easily
diarrhoea or constipation
hair loss
Side effects depend on:
which drugs you have
how much of each drug you have
how you react
Tell your treatment team about any side effects that you have.
Other side effects of chemotherapy for testicular cancer that can start after the end of treatment include:
heart problems
developing a second cancer
Chemotherapy for testicular cancer may cause infertility. Your doctor will speak to you about sperm banking before you start your treatment.
Let your doctors know if you:
take any supplements
have been prescribed anything by alternative or complementary therapy practitioners
It’s unclear how some nutritional or herbal supplements might interact with chemotherapy. Some could be harmful.
Read about the safety of complementary and alternative therapies
Chemotherapy for testicular cancer can be difficult to cope with. Tell your doctor or nurse about any problems or side effects that you have. The nurse will give you telephone numbers to call if you have any problems at home.
Last reviewed: 09 Jan 2025
Next review due: 09 Jan 2028
You usually have surgery. You might have chemotherapy or radiotherapy. This depends on the stage and type of your testicular cancer.
You might not need further treatment after you have surgery to remove your testicle. But you have regular appointments and tests. Doctors call this surveillance.
After treatment, you have regular check ups to look for signs of the cancer coming back.
There are many cancer drugs, cancer drug combinations and they have individual side effects.
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