EARAD v1.0
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The Effects on Auditory Function of Radiotherapy and Chemotherapy Treatments for Head and Neck Tumours
IRAS ID
247959
Contact name
Chris Plack
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
The University of Manchester
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 11 months, 31 days
Research summary
Many head and neck cancers are treated by radiotherapy (using intense radiation to destroy the tumour) alone or with chemotherapy (using chemicals to destroy the tumour). When radiotherapy is used to treat a cancer, the patient undergoes imaging to identify the tumour and surrounding healthy organs such as the cochlea in the inner ear. The radiotherapy is then planned so that the radiation beam is shaped to maximise the dose to the tumour and minimise the dose to the nearby healthy tissue. It is known that radiation can damage the sensitive structures in the inner ear, and possibly also hearing functions in the brain. This project aims to: (1) understand and measure hearing deficits after cancer therapy; (2) find the hearing substructures most sensitive to radiotherapy; and (3) provide the basis for optimising radiotherapy for future patients to strike the best balance between tumour control and hearing preservation.
We will use a sensitive range of tests, including listening tests and measures of the electrical activity of neurons, to assess hearing function in patients before and after radiotherapy, with and without chemotherapy, for tumours in the head and neck region. We will also determine the impact of any real-world problems, particularly listening to speech in noise. State-of-the-art computational techniques will be used to link the radiotherapy dose delivered to hearing regions close to the tumour area with the various aspects of hearing loss.
With the collected knowledge, we will provide the basis for guidelines to specifically spare those regions in the hearing pathway that are most sensitive to radiotherapy (without compromising the coverage for the cancer), and minimise long-term hearing damage.REC name
North West - Greater Manchester Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
18/NW/0681
Date of REC Opinion
17 Oct 2018
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion