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Ear Toxicity

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Abstract

The acute ear complications of radiation therapy include external, middle, and inner ear injuries. The acute external ear complications include otitis externa or skin reactions involving the preauricular region, the auricle, and the external auditory canal that occur in about 28% of head and neck cancer patients treated with radiation therapy [1]. The acute middle ear complications that include mastoiditis, Eustachian tube dysfunction, consequential otitis media, and transient conductive hearing loss occur in 40–45% of head and neck cancer patients during or after radiation therapy [2, 3]. The acute inner ear complications include sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) and tinnitus [4]. SNHL may occur early after treatment in up to 50% of patients with head and neck tumors treated with radiation therapy [5–7].

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Sourati, A., Ameri, A., Malekzadeh, M. (2017). Ear Toxicity. In: Acute Side Effects of Radiation Therapy. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-55950-6_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-55950-6_5

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

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