title: Parents are aware of the ototoxic effects of chemotherapy in paediatrics undergoing cancer treatment - Professional versus parental views: A pilot study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The primary goal of chemotherapy is to cure cancer and its symptoms. Hence, in recent years, there has been an increase in cancer paediatric survival rate. However, there have also been adverse side effects such as ototoxic hearing loss because of chemotherapy. Therefore, this study aimed at exploring whether the parents of children undergoing chemotherapy are aware of ototoxic effects of chemotherapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  A non-experimental quantitative study was conducted to collect data through questionnaires, one for paediatric oncologists and the other for parents. A convenience sampling strategy was employed to recruit 11 paediatric oncologists and 7 parents from two public hospitals in Gauteng. The questionnaires were analysed quantitatively, using descriptive statistics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  About 55% of paediatric oncologists indicated informing parents about the ototoxic effects of chemotherapy. On the contrary, 71% of parents reported having been informed by paediatric oncologists about the possible hearing loss because of chemotherapy; however, 57% of the children are receiving a combination of cisplatin and cyclophosphamide despite being aware of their ototoxic nature.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study paves the way for qualitative studies to ascertain how parents are informed about the possible side effects such as hearing loss because of chemotherapy treatment. The mode in which parents are informed about the possible side effects related to chemotherapy is critical, considering that a high number of children are still receiving chemotherapeutic drugs that are directly linked to hearing loss.
authors.affiliation: Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology, School of Human and Community Development, University of the Witwatersrand. nomfundo.moroe@wits.ac.za.
authors.forename: Nomfundo F
authors.initials: NF
authors.lastname: Moroe
authors.forename: Kirstie
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hughes
mesh_terms: D017668:Age of Onset; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D016190:Carboplatin / Q000009:adverse effects; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000009:adverse effects; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000009:adverse effects; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006309:Hearing / Q000187:drug effects*; D006311:Hearing Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D006779:Hospitals, Public; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000072103:Oncologists / Q000523:psychology*; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D013019:South Africa; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D016190:Carboplatin; D002945:Cisplatin