Early detection of hearing damage in children receiving anticancer chemotherapy

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Children surviving cancer are often left with a severe permanent hearing loss. However, very little progress has been made to minimize hearing damage in this special population. Early detection of hearing damage is not possible using traditional assessment tools. The present research seeks to investigate the use of innovative testing techniques to identify hearing damage in the early stages of the disease with high accuracy. If successful, the research will alter standard audiometric practice in hospital clinics around Australia, hence improving the standard of hearing health care for this group. The early diagnosis of hearing impairment will not only provide a chance for doctors to balance the therapeutic effects of anticancer drugs against the danger of a permanent hearing loss, but also enable allied health professionals and educational specialist to provide timely management strategies. The determination of the rate and extent of hearing dysfunction progression in children receiving chemotherapy, as proposed in this research, enables the ototoxic effects of existing drugs to be compared. With this approach, the ototoxic side effects of new drugs can also be evaluated. In summary, the proposed study will improve the quality and efficiency of audiological service delivery to young children undergoing chemotherapy in Australia and overseas.