Abstract

OTOTOXIC EFFECTS OF ANTINEOPLASTIC DRUGS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

*Archana Chaskar, Prof. S.A. Waghmare and Dr. H.V. Kambale

ABSTRACT

Cancer is a public health problem and estimates indicate that 800,000 thousand new cases of cancer will occur in India for each year of the 2020-2022 triennium.1 Worldwide, according to a projection by the International Cancer Research Agency (ICRA), affiliated to the World Health Organization (WHO), the incidence of cancer is expected to increase by up to 63% in the next 20 years, affecting more than 29 million new people in 2040. Antineoplastic chemotherapy is one of the systemic treatments for cancer that aims to treat malignant neoplasma and consists of the use of chemical substances alone or in combination, standing out as the preferential treatment for both the hematopoietic system and solid tumors, which may show regional or distant metastases. Antineoplastic or chemotherapeutic drugs interfere with the mechanisms of cell survival, proliferation, and migration; however, they act in a non-specific way, being able to harm both malignant and benign cells. Chemotherapy as well as other cancer treatment modalities may generate side effects for patients, and ototoxicity stands out.

Keywords: Antineoplastic drugs; Hearing; Ototoxicity; Cisplatin; Exposure.