Otoprotective measures for cisplatin-based chemoradiotherapy-induced toxicity in patients with head and neck cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PURPOSE

To systematically review and meta-analyze the available literature on otoprotective measures for cisplatin-induced ototoxicity in head and neck squamous cell cancer (SCC), with a focus on interventions capable of reducing toxicity while preserving oncologic outcomes.

METHODS

The PubMed Central, MEDLINE, and SciELO databases were searched in March 2024. The inclusion criteria were prospective or retrospective cohort studies, case‒control studies, and phase II or III trials in which otoprotective measures for ototoxicity induced by high-dose cisplatin-based concomitant chemoradiotherapy (CRT), 100 mg/m² intravenously (IV) every 21 days for three cycles, for head and neck cancer (HNC) patients were analyzed. Two meta-analyses were performed using the Onlinemeta web tool, using a random-effects model to calculate pooled risk ratios (RR) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) for dichotomous variables. Statistical heterogeneity was assessed using the Cochran's Q test and the I² statistic.

RESULTS

Of the 216 identified articles, 13 were assessed in the final analysis. All studies (n = 13) used high-dose cisplatin-based CRT as the standard regimen. The intervention regimens were: six studies used low-dose cisplatin-based CRT (≤ 40 mg/m² IV weekly), three studies used intra-arterial cisplatin-based CRT with sodium thiosulfate, one study used intratympanic sodium thiosulfate before high-dose cisplatin-based CRT, one study used nedaplatin-based CRT, one study used intratympanic dexamethasone before low-dose cisplatin-based CRT, and one study used acetylcysteine before high-dose cisplatin-based CRT. Significant otoprotection was reported in one-third of studies involving intra-arterial cisplatin-based CRT with sodium thiosulfate, nedaplatin-based CRT, and the use of intratympanic dexamethasone before low-dose cisplatin-based CRT. Only low-dose cisplatin-based CRT was associated with lower ototoxicity rates with survival outcomes comparable to those of high-dose cisplatin-based CRT. A meta-analysis of data from studies in which grade ≥ 2 (G ≥ 2) ototoxicity was assessed presented a heterogeneity of 71%, with a RR of 0.644 [95% CI, 0.523-0.794]. It revealed a statistically significant otoprotective trend only with nedaplatin-based CRT with a RR of 0.273 [95% CI, 0.077-0.963], and with low-dose cisplatin-based CRT. In the second meta-analysis using ototoxicity data only from studies in which low-dose cisplatin-based CRT was used as an otoprotective measure, we found an otoprotective trend, with heterogeneity of (I² = 5%), with a RR of 0.350 [95% CI, 0.228-0.536].

CONCLUSION

Through our systematic review, we identified a limited number of studies of measures to prevent the ototoxic effects of high-dose cisplatin-based CRT. Most studies had negative results, small patient populations, and were of low quality. Only low-dose cisplatin-based CRT tended to reduce the incidence of ototoxicity while maintaining survival data similar to those of high-dose cisplatin-based CRT.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Not applicable.

© 2025. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.