It is a local therapy that affects cancer cells only in the treated areas. Seminomas are highly sensitive to radiation, while the non-seminomas are far less sensitive. Men with non-seminomas usually do not undergo radiation. Radiation, unfortunately, affects normal cells as well as cancer cells. The side effects from treatment depend largely on the treatment dose, and they include nausea, fatigue, skin changes at the site of the radiation, loss of appetite and diarrhea.
Radiation interferes with sperm production, but resumes within a matter of months.
It's almost a model for treatment, because of how successful it is. This disease is very curable with chemo. It's gone from a terrible disease to one that has become very, very treatable. Chemotherapy is the use of anti-cancer drugs to kill cancer cells throughout the body and is often utilized in treatment plans after surgery. Chemotherapy may also be the initial treatment if the cancer is advanced and has spread beyond the testicle.