Ototoxic Hearing Loss

The goal of this observational study is to learn about the occurrence of and to identify suitable strategies for screening and monitoring of inner ear damage in patients receiving cisplatin chemoradiotherapy for head and neck cancer. Researchers will compare patients who are receiving cisplatin chemoradiotherapy to patients who are only receiving radiotherapy. Patients will undergo standardized testing for hearing loss, tinnitus and vestibular dysfunction at baseline, during and after treatment. Optional genetic analyses will aim to identify genes known to predispose to cisplatin-induced ototoxicity.

The goal of this observational study is to learn about ototoxicity in patients with a MoM hip arthroplasty. The main question it aims to answer is: • What is the prevalence of hearing loss in patients with high and low plasma metal concentrations.

One common side effect of cisplatin chemotherapy is ototoxicity. The drugs sodium thiosulfate and mannitol may protect against cisplatin-induced hearing loss. Specifically, sodium thiosulfate has been found to protect the cells in the inner ear, and may therefore prevent hearing loss. Mannitol can help sodium thiosulfate enter the inner ear, and ponteially increase the effectiveness of sodium thiosulfate. This study aims to assess the efficacy of sodium thiosulfate and mannitol to reduce the hearing impairment caused by cisplatin chemotherapy.