I am 70 years old and was diagnosed with metaplastic squamous cell carcinoma in my right breast last July. I should add that I am BRCA 2. The tumor was stage 2 grade 3. I received a second opinion from Mayo and received great information. I chose to have a lumpectomy which was done in August at Mayo. I found an oncologist locally who would collaborate with the Mayo oncologist who recommended adriamycin and cytoxan after an echocardiogram to evaluate my baseline heart function. I am having 4 rounds of chemo over three months. So far I started losing my hair during the first round, somI had my head shaved and I either wear a wig or hat —-friends have bestowed many hats and I love them all. During the second round, I experienced nausea almost the whole time—which was not fun and I lost my appetite. Carnation Instant Breakfast was my friend! During this third round I have had no nausea! The consistent side effect has been tiredness but it is manageable by taking naps and recognizing that I have energy limitations. During round 2 and 3 I had acupuncture the day after chemo. I also have had a massage during the first week after treatment. I will have a series of 20 radiation treatments at the University of Iowa starting the middle of December.
Hope that helps.