Mild traumatic brain injury has been called the signature injury of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. In both theaters of operation, traumatic brain injury has been a significant cause of mortality and morbidity, with blast-related injury the most common cause. Improvised explosive devices have been the major cause of blast injuries. It is estimated that 10% to 20% of veterans returning from these operations have suffered a traumatic brain injury, and there is concern that blast-related injury may produce adverse long-term health affects and affect the resilience and in-theater performance of troops. Blast-related injury occurs through several mechanisms related to the nature of the blast overpressure wave itself as well as secondary and tertiary injuries. Animal studies clearly show that blast overpressure waves are transmitted to the brain and can cause changes that neuropathologically are most similar to diffuse axonal injury. One striking feature of the mild traumatic brain injury cases being seen in veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan is the high association of mild traumatic brain injury with posttraumatic stress disorder. The overlap in symptoms between the disorders has made distinguishing them clinically challenging. The high rates of mild traumatic brain injury and posttraumatic stress disorder in the current operations are of significant concern for the long-term health of US veterans with associated economic implications.

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Cancer and its treatments introduce various adverse effects that may impact survivors’ physical, cognitive and psychological functioning. Frequently both tolerance to activity and exercise are affected as well. Rehabilitation providers should have substantive knowledge about the effect of cancer progression and common side effects associated with anti-neoplastic treatment to safely integrate rehabilitation interventions. Rehabilitation may mitigate loss of function and disability; however, these patients are among the most medically complex that providers treat. This report provides a focused review that synthesizes the current evidence regarding disease progression and oncology-directed treatment side effects within the context of safety considerations for rehabilitation interventions throughout the continuum of cancer care. Descriptive information regarding the evidence for precautions and contraindications is provided so that rehabilitation providers can promote a safe plan of rehabilitation care. It is incumbent upon but also challenging for rehabilitation providers to stay up to date on the many advances in cancer treatment, and there are many gaps in the literature regarding safety issues. Although further research is needed to inform care, this review provides clinicians with a framework to assess patients with the goal of safely initiating rehabilitation interventions.