Risk Factors for Hearing Loss in Patients Treated With Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy for Head-and-Neck Tumors

Sensorineural hearing loss in patients with head and neck cancer after chemoradiotherapy and radiotherapy: A systematic review of the literature

“…All studies used air conduction and bone conduction (BC) measurements at frequencies of 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 kHz. Some studies also measured (ultra)‐high frequencies . Pure tone averages (PTAs) were calculated at PTA 0.5‐1‐4 kHz and/or PTA 1–2‐4 kHz.…”

“…Zuur et al studied 101 patients treated with IMRT for HNSCC (mean cochlear dose of 16.2; range, 0.2–69.7 Gy). When including ultra‐high frequencies up to 16 kHz in the CTCAEv3, an incidence of 43% was seen compared to 24% when only frequencies up to 8 kHz were included.…”

Prediction of Hearing Loss Due to Cisplatin Chemoradiotherapy

“…5 However, intensitymodulated radiotherapy may spare the cochlea the effects of high-dose radiotherapy, thereby reducing the incidence of radiotherapy-induced SNHL. 6 Apart from radiotherapy, cisplatin is also known to cause permanent SNHL starting immediately after the first cisplatin infusion. This SNHL is characterized by bilateral, irreversible, and progressive highfrequency loss.…”

Long-Term Hearing Results and Otological Complications of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Patients: Comparison between Treatment with Conventional Two-Dimensional Radiotherapy and Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy

“…Chen et al [11] demonstrated that a radiation dose over 48 Gy to the cochlea would significantly increase the risk of sensorineural hearing loss; though in his study, patients also received ototoxic chemotherapy. In another cohort of patients with head and neck cancer treated with IMRT, Zuur et al [12] demonstrated that the dose to the cochlea, pretreatment hearing loss, green-eyed patients and older age were all risk factors for posttreatment hearing loss, though the authors did not present a maximum safe dose for the cochlea for hearing preservation. In our current cohort, the patients in the IMRT group received a dose of 50 Gy to the cochlea while the 2 DRT group received a dose of up to 68 Gy.…”