Can sciatic nerve pain be related to ovca

[Hazel30]

My Mom is 4 months past her last treatment for ovca 3c.  The past month shes been experiencing sciatic nerve pain.  Some days ok, some days bad, some days nothing at all.  I have to mention also that she gained 25 lbs with chemo so that may be taken into a consideration as well.  She will be making an appt to see a chiropractor but Im just wondering if that is in any way related to the ovca.  She also says sometimes it travels down her leg.
Thanks so much

[Annekathryn Goodman, M.D.]

Hi Hazel,
Pain that starts around the buttocks and runs down the back to the leg is usually from some problem that irritates or pinches the sciatic nerve. The pain is aggravated by bending at the hip with the knees straight and is relived when the knee is flexed. The most common reason for "sciatica" is a slipped disc in the lower back. In someone who has ovarian cancer, pain from the sciatic nerve can happen from the trauma of surgery. It can also be experienced if tumor grows back in the location of the nerve.

It is actually not the most common type of nerve pain in ovarian cancer. The most common nerve pain is due to a side effect of taxol and carboplatin chemotherapy called "neuropathy" This is experienced as pain or numbness or "pins and needles" in the hands and / or feet.

Other kinds of nerve pain can involve other nerves that come out on the front of the leg (femoral nerve).

Pain can occur if there is a blood clot in the veins of the thigh. Usually there is also swelling of the leg in this situation.

Finally pain can occur in the hip or upper leg from a fracture from osteoporosis.

So for your mother, she needs a good neurological examination to understand the nature of her pain. A CT scan of the abdomen and pelvis is important to look at the areas of lymph nodes to see of there is any sign of tumor recurrence. Other xrays will depend on the physical examination but may include an ultrasound of the veins to look for a blood clot, an xray or MRI of the hip to look for a fracture.

best wishes to you and your mother.