Half of the cancer patients on chemotherapy have hearing issues: study

Little is known about hearing loss and tinnitus associated with neurotoxic chemotherapy.

The study evaluated for differences in occurrence rates and effects of hearing loss and tinnitus in survivors who received platinum alone, a taxane alone or platinum and taxane containing regimen.

A total of 273 survivors with breast, gastrointestinal, gynaecological or lung cancer completed self-report measures of hearing loss and tinnitus and had an audiometric assessment that obtained pure tone air conduction thresholds bilaterally at frequencies of between 0.25 kHz to 16.0 kHz.

Each survivor's audiogram was evaluated using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey-modified Occupational Safety and Health Administration standards to adjust for age-related and gender-related changes in hearing.

Survivors were classified as having hearing loss if they scored poorer than the 50th percentile for their age and gender at any frequency.

Survivors were categorised as having tinnitus if they reported that for >10% of their time awake, they were consciously aware of their tinnitus.

Differences among the chemotherapy groups were evaluated using parametric and non-parametric tests.

Results:

• No differences were found among the three chemotherapy groups for most of the demographic and clinical characteristics.
• Occurrence rates for audiogram-confirmed hearing loss ranged from 52.3% to 71.4%.
• Occurrence rates for tinnitus ranged from 37.1% to 40.0%.
• No differences were found among the three chemotherapy groups in the occurrence rates or effects of hearing loss and tinnitus.

These findings suggest that regardless of the chemotherapy regimen common mechanistic pathway(s) may underlie these two neurotoxicities.

Reference:

Cheung S, Henderson-Sabes J, Mastick J, et alCancer survivors and neurotoxic chemotherapy: hearing loss and tinnitusBMJ Supportive & Palliative Care Published Online First: 27 July 2022. doi: 10.1136/spcare-2022-003684

Keywords:

Cancer, survivors, neurotoxic, chemotherapy, hearing, loss, tinnitus, Steven Cheung, Jennifer Henderson-Sabes, Judith Mastic, Gary Abrams, Karin Snowberg, Emely Alfaro, Marisa Quinn, Steven Paul, Bruce Cooper, Margaret Wallhagen, Yvette Conley, Jon Levine