Ototoxicity in Patients of Advanced Head and Neck Malignancies Receiving Chemoradiation Versus Radiation Alone: Comparative Study

To evaluate ototoxicity in patients receiving combined cisplatin and radiotherapy in comparison to patients receiving radiotherapy alone. A prospective study was conducted in sixty (60) cases of advanced Head and Neck malignancy (stage III and IV). Patient were divided in two randomized groups (30 each), group I received chemoradiation and group II received radiation alone. Inclusion criteria were histopathologically confirmed head & neck malignancy, normal baseline audiograms. Exclusion criteria were defined as: previously treated cases with chemotherapy/radiotherapy, patients who didn’t complete treatment or lost to follow up. Ototoxicity was evaluated as per criterion established by the American speech-language-hearing association. Study participants were evaluated for ototoxicity at intervals defined as per study design. Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) was noticed in 56.6% and 36.6% of subjects in Group I & II respectively at 6 months follow up post completion of treatment. Incidence of sensorineural hearing loss increased significantly with cumulative dosages of chemoradiotherapy in group I and radiotherapy in group II. Incidence of SNHL in both study groups was found to be higher in patients older than 50 years. Incidence of ototoxicity in chemoradiated patients was found to be higher in comparison to patients receiving radiation alone. Ototoxicity occurred more with cumulative doses, with higher speech frequencies affected earlier in comparison to middle range frequencies. Lower frequencies were spared.