Radiation therapy and hearing loss.
A review of literature on the development of sensorineural hearing loss after high-dose radiation therapy for head-and-neck tumors and stereotactic radiosurgery or fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy for the treatment of vestibular schwannoma is presented. Because of the small volume of the cochlea a dose-volume analysis is not feasible. Instead, the current literature on the effect of the mean dose received by the cochlea and other treatment- and patient-related factors on outcome are evaluated. Based on the data, a specific threshold dose to cochlea for sensorineural hearing loss cannot be determined; therefore, dose-prescription limits are suggested. A standard for evaluating radiation therapy-associated ototoxicity as well as a detailed approach for scoring toxicity is presented.
Bhandare
Niranjan
N
Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida 32610, USA.
Jackson
Andrew
A
Eisbruch
Avraham
A
Pan
Charlie C
CC
Flickinger
John C
JC
Antonelli
Patrick
P
Mendenhall
William M
WM
D003051:Cochlea / Q000528:radiation effects; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D009464:Neuroma, Acoustic / Q000601:surgery*; D016634:Radiosurgery / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage