[R.B.]

I continue to be concerned about the breaking point also in terms of net benefit of chemotherapy application to breast cancer patients over time because of the metabolic differences between younger patients and older ones. It is just too easy to "want" chemotherapy to work "just in case" in a group of primarily older early stage breast cancer patients when it may instead increase their net risk due to their greater tendency for weight gain with steroids and menopause (and also, the imbalance in types of fats consumed as part of that process).

These are valid questions AA.

How do you balance risk of long term 'damage' in terms of 'ageing' / alteration of body cell function, v short term benefits? How does chemo impact on lifespan, QOL etc?

What are the long term effects of chemo on cell function, energy production capacity etc?

How are different age groups affected comparatively etc?