Incidenceof Ototoxicity in Patients Receiving Cytotoxic Medications

Abstract

Cisplatin is one of the most widely used anti-cancer drugs. This IS because of its high efficacy and its, relatively, cheap price. In addition, it is effective against a wide range of tumours. Unfortunately, this drug is cochleotoxic and its ototoxicity is thara­ investigated by many researchers. Primary prevention is not always feasible due to superiority of the drug effectiveness. However, secondary prevention should be tried, in the form of audiological . monitoring during cisplatin therapy.

Vincristine is an another, commonly used, anti-cancer drug with a wide spectrum of effectiveness. Unlike cisplatin, this drug was not adequately investigated as regards its cochleotoxicity. Few researchers have reported ototoxic effect of this drug during case studies, but still in need to be furtherly investigated, together with the other members of his group of drugs, known as vinca alkaloids (vinblastine and vinorelbine). Thus, this study was designed to study the cochleotoxic effect of both, cisplatin and vincristine and to study the adequate methods of early detection of such ototoxic effect.

A prospective study was performed on thirty five patients, twenty of them were receiving cisplatin and fiveteen were receiving vincristine.