Ototoxicity of cisplatin in gynaecological cancer patients

The ototoxic side effect of a moderate dose of cisplatin was studied by regular audiometric investigations in 186 women with gynaecologic cancer. Cisplatin was given in a dose of 50 mg/m2 body surface by intravenous infusion every 4 weeks. High-frequency hearing loss occurred in 40 patients (22%), but in no single case was a significant change observed in the frequency range of 0.5-2 kHz. Older patients showed a statistically significant greater incidence of audiometric changes, but the pretreatment audiogram was not a predictor for ototoxic changes. It is concluded that a moderate dose of cisplatin does not effect the ability to communicate.