ABR evaluation of ototoxicity in cancer patients receiving cisplatin or carboplatin

The development of ototoxicity was evaluated using auditory brainstem response (ABR) in cancer patients randomized to receive a cisplatin-based chemotherapy (cisplatin dose: 70 mg/m 2 ) or a carboplatin-based chemotherapy (carboplatin dose: 250 mg/m 2 ). The ABR measurements were performed in a sound-treated room using 2000 clicks of alternating polarity at an intensity of 100 dB PESPL presented to the patients at a rate of 21 clicks per second. Of 59 patients, 21 (9 in the cisplatin group and 12 in the carboplatin group) met our pre-established criteria and were included in the ototoxicity study. Two patients of the cisplatin group developed evidence of clinically occult ototoxicity after two cycles of chemotherapy; the latency of wave V of the ABR increased significantly from 5.874 to 6.336 msec and from 5.826 to 6.458 msec in both patients; these patients had a hearing loss detected by conventional audiometry (125 to 8,000 Hz) after five and six cycles of chemotherapy, respectively. None of the 12 examined carboplatin patients developed ABR-measured ototoxicity or abnormal audiograms during treatment. Our results suggest that ABR might prove to be useful in detecting early hearing deterioration from cisplatin.