Objective:

To conduct a comparative evaluation of the prevalence of sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) associated with chemoradiotherapy versus radiotherapy in head and neck cancer (HNC) patients, highlighting the clinical significance of these findings.

Key Findings:

• Chemoradiotherapy is associated with a higher incidence of sensorineural hearing loss compared to radiotherapy alone, indicating a need for increased awareness among healthcare providers.
• A study reported SNHL in 82.5% of HNC patients undergoing chemoradiotherapy, while another reported a 25.7% incidence for radiotherapy, underscoring the disparity in treatment outcomes.

Interpretation:

The findings suggest that chemoradiotherapy significantly increases the risk of sensorineural hearing loss in head and neck cancer patients compared to radiotherapy alone.

Limitations:

• Variability in study methodologies may affect the comparability of results, and potential publication bias and limited access to full texts of some studies should be considered.

Conclusion:

This systematic review and meta-analysis highlights the increased risk of sensorineural hearing loss in HNC patients receiving chemoradiotherapy, emphasizing the critical need for careful monitoring and management of hearing health in this vulnerable population.