Coronation Street star Tracy Shaw begins chemo

Former Coronation Street actress Tracy Shaw has candidly shared the physical and emotional toll of beginning chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer. Shaw, 52, who played Maxine Peacock on the ITV soap opera from 1995 to 2003, publicly announced her diagnosis last month.

In a recent video update posted on Instagram, Shaw described her first chemotherapy session, which lasted over eight hours. She said the treatment had "wiped" her, attributing her current ability to cope partly to steroids. Shaw explained that one of the chemotherapy injections affects her heart, requiring regular scans to monitor it. She also detailed common side effects, stating that everything she eats tastes of metal and that she occasionally feels an intense, restless energy.

The actress has proactively cut her hair short in preparation for treatment and plans to donate it to The Little Princess Trust, a charity that provides wigs to children with hair loss. She has also purchased a wig for herself. Shaw told her followers that, due to the treatment's impact on her immune system, she will need to limit social interactions to avoid infection.

In her posts, Shaw has expressed the significant emotional...