By Nour Khalil Othman, student of the Master in Clinical Audiology and Hearing Therapy

Abstract

Chemotherapy-related ototoxicity can affect hearing, tinnitus, and vestibular or balance function, yet reported prevalence varies with treatment exposure, patient population, outcome definition, and assessment method. This systematic review examined the prevalence and clinical characteristics of ototoxicity-related outcomes among patients receiving systemic chemotherapy and explored audiometric patterns, treatment-related factors, and patient characteristics associated with risk. English-language observational studies of human cancer patients of any age or cancer type, published from 2019 to 31 May 2026, were eligible.
PubMed/MEDLINE, Europe PMC, the Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar were last searched on 16–17 July 2026. The review was reported in accordance with PRISMA 2020, and methodological quality was appraised using design-specific JBI critical appraisal tools.
Owing to substantial clinical and methodological heterogeneity, findings were synthesised narratively and no meta-analysis was performed. Twenty-three publications were included.
Prevalence estimates for self-reported hearing loss ranged from approximately 30.5% to 59%, whereas audiometrically defined hearing loss ranged from 43.8% to 78%. Tinnitus was common where assessed, with occurrence estimates of 37.1%–68%, but was examined in only seven publications; vestibular or balance-related outcomes were examined in five. Highfrequency sensorineural hearing loss was the most consistent audiometric pattern, and cisplatin dominated the evidence base. Greater cumulative exposure, treatment schedule, baseline hearing status, and selected patient-related factors were associated with ototoxic risk. Interpretation was limited by heterogeneous outcome definitions and sparse evidence outside cisplatin-treated populations. Overall, chemotherapy-related ototoxicity is heterogeneous, supporting more consistent outcome definitions, broader assessment across symptom domains, and risk-based audiological monitoring. The review was not prospectively registered.

Keywords: chemotherapy, ototoxicity, hearing loss, tinnitus, vestibular dysfunction, cisplatin, audiological monitoring.

Download the full Research Work: Othman, N. K. (2026). Prevalence of Ototoxicity-Related Symptoms Among Chemotherapy Patients: A Systematic Review. SAERA