With the development of radiotherapeutic techniques and equipment as well as advances in treatment modalities, the 5-year overall survival of patients with non-disseminated NPC has exceeded 80%. However, the incidence of hearing toxicity did not decrease significantly compared with the past. The hearing loss remains the second most common toxicity after xerostomia. Audiometry, acoustic impedance testing, eustachian tube pressure measurements, and distortion product otoacoustic emissions will be used to compare hearing before treatment and up to 1 year after radical chemoradiotherapy. The related factors affecting the hearing of NPC patients will also be investigated and explored.
This observational cohort study was aimed to evaluate the hearing toxicity at multiple time points from baseline to 1 year after radical chemoradiotherapy among nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients.