Chemotherapy-Induced Hearing Loss and Health Inequality
Starting soon
Conditions studied: Cancer, Chemo Brain, Chemotherapy, Hearing
In brief
This project aims to understand how platinum-based chemotherapy affects hearing function in cancer patients from different socioeconomic backgrounds in the North West of England. Platinum-based chemotherapy drugs, such as cisplatin, are ototoxic, meaning that they cause permanent damage to the hair cells of the ear, resulting in hearing loss. Patients from more deprived backgrounds face additional risk factors to their hearing health, including limited healthcare access, greater occupational noise exposure, and poorer overall health, making them more vulnerable to hearing loss. This is especially concerning as hearing loss can make communication more challenging, which creates a greater reliance on cognitive processes such as thinking and memory to navigate social interactions. This challenge is exacerbated when individuals experience cognitive dysfunction related to chemotherapy, commonly referred to as 'chemo brain'. Addressing these communication difficulties is crucial for promoting healthy ageing and maintaining social engagement. It is expected that cancer patients from the most deprived backgrounds would experience greater hearing loss following chemotherapy than those from less deprived backgrounds. As a secondary aim, this study will also investigate how hearing loss may affect cognitive function. Specifically, it will assess whether differences in speech-in-noise performance from pre- to post-treatment predict cognitive performance post-treatment, to understand if changes in hearing over time are associated with changes in cognition. The study will also explore how socioeconomic deprivation, cumulative chemotherapy dose, and treatment duration influence these relationships. By identifying disparities in hearing loss and possible associations with cognition, this research will help guide future hearing screening and intervention strategies for cancer patients.
Key facts
- Study ID
- NCT07553481
- Run by
- Lancaster University
- People needed
- 172
- Starts
- 2026-05-02
- Expected to finish
- 2028-09-01
- Last updated by the study team
- 2026-04-28
Who can join
Age: 18 and older. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.
You may qualify if…
- Patients receiving platinum-based chemotherapy drugs
- Living and treated within North West England
- Able to complete an online hearing and cognitive test
- Fluent in English
You may not qualify if…
- Following cancer types: brain tumour/metastasis, head + neck, skin cancers around the ear, and adenoid cystic carcinoma of the auditory cortex
- World Health Organisation performance status score of 3 or more
- Stage 4 cancer
- History of childhood deafness
- Current or recent ear infections
- Cochlear implant user
- Known neurological impairment (e.g., stroke, traumatic brain injury, dementia)
- Patients who look capacity to consent or complete study tasks
Where it is running
- Lancaster University — Lancaster, Lancashire, United Kingdom
Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov
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