Abstract

Introduction: Head and neck tumors patients present greater complaints due to their anatomical location. One of the most efficent treatment is radiotherapy, nevertheless it can cause undesired effects on area extending from the external to the internal ear. Aim: To evaluate hearing thresholds in subjects receiving radiotherapy as treatment for head and neck cancer. Methods: Transversal cohort study carried out in an Oncology Ward in a public hospital from the northeast of Brazil (Aracaju-Sergipe). Audiological evaluation was performed in 36 volunteers of both genders, divided equally between two groups: control and study group. The control group, non oncolgy, was composed by normal hearing thresholds subjects (including criteria). The study group was characterized of cancer patients, who were undergoing oncology treatment in a Cancer Department of the major public hospital of the town. The procedures, for both groups, were performed in two sections: anamnesis and conventinal pure tone audiometry. Results: Normal hearing thresholds of control and study group evinced that study group had worsening thresholds (p ≤ 0.05). Most of the study group (61.1%) was diagnosed with sensorineural hearing loss characterized by changes as from the 3 kHz frequency. Conclusion: Subjects with head and neck cancer undergoing oncology treatment might present significant worsening of hearing thresholds

Keywords: Audiometry; Head and neck cancer; Radiotherapy; Sensorioneural hearing loss