Intra-arterial cisplatin in malignant brain tumors: incidence and severity of otic toxicity

Intra-arterial (IA) cisplatin is used to treat gliomas with the goal of maximizing drug concentration in the brain while minimizing systemic toxicity. The present study is based on the author's experience with IA cisplatin administration in 12 patients. The primary goal of the study was to document the extent of otic toxicity in these individuals. Hearing was tested clinically and with audiograms, before each IA cisplatin injection. Eight women and four men with a mean age of 39 1/2 years (range 22-61) were treated. Diagnoses included 7 glioblastoma multiformes, 4 anaplastic astrocytomas, and 1 gliosarcoma. Diagnosis was obtained by stereotactic biopsy in four and craniotomy for resection and debulking in eight. The mean number of IA injections per patient was 4.58 (range 3-6). The cisplatin dose was 60 mg/m2 with the average dose of cisplatin per cycle being 116 mg (range 96-130 mg). Eleven patients had the agent administered via the internal carotid and one received it by way of a vertebral artery. Nine of the twelve patients (75%) demonstrated pure tone loss, as measured by audiography, of greater than 15 dB in the higher frequencies range (> or = 3 kHz) bilaterally. One patient became deaf and two others had clinically significant hearing loss. The severity of the auditory damage increased after each administration in each of the cases with clinical abnormality. IA cisplatin may have a role in the treatment of patients with primary malignant brain tumors, but further developments to limit otic toxicity would be of value.