Cisplatin and cranial irradiation-related hearing loss in children

High doses of cisplatin and cranial radiotherapy (CRT) have been reported to cause irreversible hearing loss. The objective of this study was to examine the influence of cranial irradiation on cisplatin-associated ototoxicity in children with pediatric malignancies.

Serial audiograms were obtained for 33 children, age <16 years, treated with cisplatin-based chemotherapy (90-120 mg/m(2) per cycle) with or without CRT. Eligible patients included those with normal baseline audiometric evaluations and without significant exposure to other ototoxic drugs. We defined significant hearing loss as a hearing threshold ≥30 dB at 2,000-8,000 Hz frequencies.

The median age of our study population was 4.9 years (range 6 weeks to 16 years), and the male to female ratio was 0.8:1. The study population consisted of 15 Caucasians, 17 African-Americans, and 1 Hispanic. Fourteen patients had brain tumors, and 19 had other solid tumors. Thirteen patients were exposed to CRT, and 20 were not. Bilateral hearing loss was observed in 24/33 (73%) patients, with severe/profound (≥70 dB) impairment in 10/33 (30%) of all patients. Young age (<5 years), CRT, and brain tumors were independent prognostic factors predicting hearing loss.

The study demonstrated a high incidence of hearing loss in children treated with cisplatin and CRT. Consequently, we recommend monitoring these children for the early detection of hearing loss.