Study of Hearing and Balance Problems Caused by Cancer Treatments Using Hearing and Blood Tests

What this Trial Is About

This research aims to evaluate hidden hearing loss and vestibular damage caused by cancer treatments in patients and healthy volunteers. It focuses on assessing the ear and balance side effects linked to anticancer drugs, especially platinum-based therapies, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. The study explores the limitations of current hearing tests and works to identify better diagnostic methods and biomarkers to detect subtle auditory and vestibular damage that affects quality of life and may increase risks such as falls or cognitive decline. Participants will undergo auditory, vestibular, and electrophysiological tests including otoacoustic emissions, electrocochleography, vocal audiometry in noise, and high-frequency tonal audiometry. Blood samples will be taken to analyze seric proteins as potential biomarkers. The study includes different groups patients previously exposed to ototoxic agents, patients about to start such treatments, and healthy volunteers. Visits occur either once after exposure or multiple times before, during, and after treatment to monitor changes over time. During the study, participants will attend clinic visits every two weeks for checkups and tests. They will complete questionnaires and undergo various hearing and balance assessments without changes to their standard cancer care. Researchers will analyze statistics on audiometry, electrophysiological tests, and protein levels at multiple time points. The study aims to better understand ototoxicity patterns and improve early detection through combined subjective and objective measures, with ongoing monitoring up to nine months after treatment.

Diagnostic of Various Ototoxicity Induced by Cancer Treatment