High dose cisplatin for chemotherapy has been associated with nephrotoxicity and otoxicity. What is the proposed mechanism for ototoxicity?
Ototoxicity may be caused by cisplatin-induced degeneration of the hair cells of the cochlea and is related to both cumulative and individual cisplatin dose. In the cited reference, tinnitus occurred in 25% of the patients, 15% had subjective, symptomatic hearing loss, and in 2.5%, treatment was not completed due to ototoxicity.
de Jongh, F., van Veen, R., Veltman, S. et al. Weekly high-dose cisplatin is a feasible treatment option: analysis on prognostic factors for toxicity in 400 patients. Br J Cancer 88, 1199–1206 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bjc.6600884
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