OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence of hearing loss after concomitant radiochemotherapy in patients enrolled in a larynx preservation protocol. DESIGN: Prospective study. SETTING: Consecutive patients treated in a tertiary cancer center hospital between 2001 and 2002. PATIENTS: Eligible subjects included patients prospectively enrolled in an organ preservation protocol based on concomitant radiotherapy and chemotherapy (cisplatin and paclitaxel). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Descriptive analysis of the results of audiologic evaluations, including pure-tone audiometry and immitance audiometry, which were performed prior to and 8 months after treatment. Change in hearing sensitivity was computed relative to baseline measures. Criteria to indicate hearing decrease after the treatment were defined as either a 20-dB decrease at any single test frequency or a 10-dB decrease at any 2 adjacent test frequencies. RESULTS: A total of 11 patients were analyzed. Four patients (36%) had hearing loss after the treatment. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that the prevalence of hearing loss after radiochemotherapy in larynx preservation protocols is high (36%); however, it was usually mild and asymptomatic.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence of hearing loss after concomitant radiochemotherapy in patients enrolled in a larynx preservation protocol. DESIGN: Prospective study. SETTING: Consecutive patients treated in a tertiary cancer center hospital between 2001 and 2002. PATIENTS: Eligible subjects included patients prospectively enrolled in an organ preservation protocol based on concomitant radiotherapy and chemotherapy (cisplatin and paclitaxel). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Descriptive analysis of the results of audiologic evaluations, including pure-tone audiometry and immitance audiometry, which were performed prior to and 8 months after treatment. Change in hearing sensitivity was computed relative to baseline measures. Criteria to indicate hearing decrease after the treatment were defined as either a 20-dB decrease at any single test frequency or a 10-dB decrease at any 2 adjacent test frequencies. RESULTS: A total of 11 patients were analyzed. Four patients (36%) had hearing loss after the treatment. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that the prevalence of hearing loss after radiochemotherapy in larynx preservation protocols is high (36%); however, it was usually mild and asymptomatic.
Authors: Nam P Nguyen; Alexander Chi; Michael Betz; Fabio Almeida; Paul Vos; Rick Davis; Benjamin Slane; Misty Ceizyk; Dave Abraham; Lexie Smith-Raymond; Michelle Stevie; Siyoung Jang; Steven Gelumbauskas; Vincent Vinh-Hung Journal: PLoS One Date: 2012-08-20 Impact factor: 3.240