Hearing Loss in Patients with Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma after Chemotherapy and Radiation

• Main Authors: Ling-Feng Wang, Wen-Rei Kuo, Kuen-Yao Ho, Ka-Wo Lee, Chih-Shin Lin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 2003-04-01
• Series: Kaohsiung Journal of Medical Sciences
• Subjects: nasopharyngeal carcinoma; radiotherapy; radiation injury; hearing loss
• Online Access: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1607551X09704668

In light of the possible adverse effects of radiation on hearing, we conducted a study to evaluate the long-term sensorineural hearing status following radiotherapy (RT) in patients suffering from nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Audiologic examinations were performed at regular intervals before and after RT. We also analyzed the effects of age, chemotherapy, pre-RT hearing status, and post-RT otitis media with effusion (OME) on post-RT hearing change. A total of 150 patients (261 ears) were enrolled in this study and followed up for a mean of 43.8 months. After RT, 8.9-28.8% of ears had at least a 10 dB loss in bone conduction threshold at speech frequency, which was defined as an average of hearing threshold at 0.5 kHz, 1 kHz, and 2 kHz, while the percentage was 18-34.2% at 4 kHz. Patient age was related to these changes at speech frequency, and the presence of post-RT OME was related to significant loss at both speech frequency and 4 kHz. Pre-RT hearing status and chemotherapy did not influence hearing change. To sum up, sensorineural hearing loss began as early as after completion of RT. Early changes may be transient, but the effect of radiation on hearing tended to be chronic and progressive.