Radhika Manne, Parth Thakkar, Jasmine Zheng
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA.
DOI: 10.2340/20030711-1000043

Cancer itself can have lifelong devastating effects, but radiation treatment can often also result in long-lasting neurological and musculoskeletal complications, leading to subsequent severe functional impairments. Physiatrists caring for the cancer rehabilitation population must be able to recognize and treat radiation-induced peripheral nerve in-juries. This report presents a rare case of radiation-induced obturator neuropathy in a patient with recurrent cervical cancer.

The number of cancer survivors is increasing annually. Many of these survivors will have received some form of radiation therapy. Whether their last dose was 6 months or 20 years ago, radiation can cause injury to nerves and muscles at any point after treatment. If physicians do not recognize these complications at an early stage, radiation injuries can result in progressive pain and functional impairments that can be lifelong. We report here a rare case of nerve injury in a patient following radiation, emphasizing the key findings of presentation and the testing and management needed in order to prevent long-term pain and improve overall quality of life in cancer survivors.