TriangleFOR PATIENTS · SOURCE READING
Radiation therapy to the brain and certain types of chemotherapy increase the risk of hearing loss.
Source: Late Effects of Treatment for Childhood Cancer (PDQ®)–Patient Version, National Cancer Institute.
Source updated: February 12, 2025 · Captured 2026-09-09.
Selected source text with whitespace normalised. This Triangle page is not an NCI PDQ summary. Independent clinical review is pending.
The risk of hearing loss is increased in childhood cancer survivors after treatment with:
certain types of chemotherapy, such as cisplatin or high-dose carboplatin
Source links and citations
radiation therapy to the brain
Source links and citations
The risk of hearing loss from radiation therapy is greater in children who are diagnosed with cancer before age 5 years, and the risk increases for children of all ages with higher radiation doses. The risk of hearing loss is also greater in childhood cancer survivors who received radiation therapy to the brain and chemotherapy at the same time.
The risk of hearing loss may be lower if children treated with cisplatin were also given a drug called sodium thiosulfate.
Preserved source evidence · Independent clinical review pending · Not medical advice