Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy (also called chemo) uses drugs to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing.

Topical chemotherapy is placed directly onto the skin, where it mainly affects cancer cells in those areas. Topical chemotherapy, such as fluorouracil, may be used to treat stage 0 penile cancer.

Systemic chemotherapy is when chemotherapy drugs are taken by mouth or injected into a vein or muscle. When given this way, the drugs enter the bloodstream and can reach cancer cells throughout the body. Systemic chemotherapy may be used if the cancer is too large to be removed by surgery or has spread to the lymph nodes or other parts of the body.

Learn more about how chemotherapy works, how it is given, common side effects, and more at Chemotherapy to Treat Cancer and Chemotherapy and You: Support for People With Cancer.