Auditory effects after organ preservation protocol for laryngeal/hypopharyngeal carcinomas.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the prevalence of hearing loss after concomitant radiochemotherapy in patients enrolled in a larynx preservation protocol. DESIGN Prospective study. SETTING Consecutive patients treated in a tertiary cancer center hospital between 2001 and 2002. PATIENTS Eligible subjects included patients prospectively enrolled in an organ preservation protocol based on concomitant radiotherapy and chemotherapy (cisplatin and paclitaxel). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Descriptive analysis of the results of audiologic evaluations, including pure-tone audiometry and immitance audiometry, which were performed prior to and 8 months after treatment. Change in hearing sensitivity was computed relative to baseline measures. Criteria to indicate hearing decrease after the treatment were defined as either a 20-dB decrease at any single test frequency or a 10-dB decrease at any 2 adjacent test frequencies. RESULTS A total of 11 patients were analyzed. Four patients (36%) had hearing loss after the treatment. CONCLUSION Our results suggest that the prevalence of hearing loss after radiochemotherapy in larynx preservation protocols is high (36%); however, it was usually mild and asymptomatic.