list chemo drugs cause hearing loss
As with all medication, chemo is accompanied by certain side-effects. One lesser known side effect of chemo is the loss of hearing. Certain drugs used in chemo are ototoxic, or poisonous to the ear. Ototoxicity may cause permanent sensorineural hearing loss, due to the effects of the drugs on our inner ear hair cells.
OHSU researchers tested the hearing in 67 patients, ages eight months to 23 years following their chemotherapy. 61 of them were found to have hearing loss. Typically, the resulting hearing loss from cisplatin chemotherapy is high frequency hearing loss, making the hearing impairment less obvious. Children are most at risk, but the precise risk of hearing loss from cisplatin is yet to be determined.