Musculoskeletal Effects of Cancer and Cancer Treatment

Improvements in cancer treatment have led to prolonged survival and increased rates of cure. An estimated 14 million cancer survivors live in the United States. The cornerstones of cancer treatment, including radiation, chemotherapy, and surgery, give rise to a host of chronic health conditions, some of which affect the musculoskeletal system. As survivorship continues to improve, orthopaedic surgeons across all subspecialties will be tasked with managing these complications of treatment. This article reviews orthopaedic health concerns secondary to cancer treatment that are likely to present to orthopaedic surgeons for evaluation, such as osteoporosis, osteonecrosis, secondary malignancies, radiation-associated fractures, exercise tolerance, and perioperative evaluation.