OBJECTIVETo investigate short-stage results of audiological change of nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients after radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatment.

METHODSAccording to treatment modus of nasopharyngeal carcinoma, 64 cases (128 ears) patients were divided to simple radiotherapy group (45 cases, 90 ears) and radiotherapy with chemotherapy group (combination treatment group, 19 cases, 38 ears). Meanwhile, 25 cases (50 ears) people took as control group, who had no obviously ear and nose disease. About two or three months after radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatment completion, three groups were detected by otoscopy, pure tone test, tympanogram and eustachian tube function, respectively. Then, hearing variation of all patients after radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatment were investigated and compared each other. At the same time, the character and level of audiological change were also analyzed.

RESULTSEardrum character of nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients appeared change after radiotherapy. Simple radiotherapy and combination treatment groups were found having hearing impairment and eustachian tube functional disturbance. Moreover, most patients of simple radiotherapy group showed conductive deaf (24%, 22/90), and combination treatment group exhibited mingle (24%, 9/38) or sensorineural deafness (29%, 11/38).

CONCLUSIONSRecent hearing of nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients were damaged by radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatment, radiotherapy treatment induced middle ear or eustachian tube function disturbance, chemotherapy treatment had cochleotoxicity, compared with other treatment, combination treatment was more aggravated hearing impairment.