Molecular and Genetic Medicine

The Prevalance of Sensori-Neural Hearing Loss and Ototoxicity in Acute Myeloid Leukemia Patients

Abstract

Shanmugam R, Raman R, Zakaria MZ and Chang KM

Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate the prevalence of sensori-neural hearing loss and ototoxicity in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients.

Study design: This is a prospective non-randomized study.

Methods: 14 patients with the diagnosis of acute myeloid leukemia were treated with Daunorubicin and Cytarabine (ARA-C). Pure Tone Audiometry (PTA) was performed prior to induction chemotherapy and immediately after completion of induction protocol. Primary outcome was the prevalence of sensori-neural hearing loss. Secondary outcome was correlation of age, sex, absolute neutrophil counts, total white counts, platelet counts and creatinine levels in the study population.

Results: Fourteen patients participated in this study (n=14). Ten patients had normal hearing prior to preinduction treatment. Four patients had pre-existing hearing loss prior to treatment. Post induction treatment, ten patients had normal hearing. However, from these ten patients, one had pre-existing hearing loss which improved. Two patients, whom had normal hearing and pre-existing hearing loss pre-induction treatment respectively, expired. Two patients who had pre-existing hearing loss had the same level of hearing post induction. The prevalence of sensori-neural hearing loss in this study is 71.4%. From our observation, there is no evidence of ototoxicity from induction therapy of Daunorubicin and Cytarabine (ARA-C) in our study population (p=0.001). Induction treatment with Daunorubicin and Cytarabine (ARA-C) shows statistically significant reduction in Absolute Neutrophils Counts (p=0.013), Total White Counts (p=0.001), Haemoglobin Counts (p=0.036) and Creatinine levels (p=0.017) in our study population. Even though Platelet counts showed reduction, this was not supported statistically (p=0.258).

Conclusion: Induction treatment with Daunorubicin and Cytarabine (ARA-C) are safe chemotherapy agents to be administered during the induction phase in treatment of Acute Myeloid Leukemia with no evidence of sensorineural hearing loss. Further study is required to monitor the long-term effects of these drugs during consolidation, remission or relapse phases of treatment and if possible during stem cell transplant treatment.

PDF