Early detection of hearing damage in children receiving anticancer chemotherapy

在癌症中幸存下来的儿童通常会留下严重的永久性听力损失。然而，在将这一特殊人群的听力损害降至最低方面进展甚微。使用传统的评估工具不可能及早发现听力损害。本研究旨在研究使用创新的测试技术来高精度地在疾病的早期阶段识别听力损害。如果研究成功，这项研究将改变澳大利亚各地医院诊所的标准听力测量实践，从而提高这一群体的听力保健标准。听力障碍的早期诊断不仅为医生提供了一个机会来平衡抗癌药物的治疗效果和永久性听力损失的危险，还将使相关的卫生专业人员和教育专家能够提供及时的管理策略。根据这项研究的建议，确定接受化疗的儿童听力障碍进展的速度和程度，可以比较现有药物的耳毒性作用。通过这种方法，还可以评估新药的耳毒性副作用。总而言之，拟议的研究将提高为澳大利亚和海外接受化疗的幼儿提供听力服务的质量和效率。

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.