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By Rita Okoye
Many cancer survivors leave the hospital with a clean bill of health—but not without scars. For some, the price of survival is the permanent loss of hearing. It’s a side effect that’s rarely discussed, yet it affects thousands worldwide, especially children.
Chemotherapy saves lives. But for drugs like cisplatin, it can also damage the delicate hair cells in the inner ear. These cells never regenerate. Once destroyed, the result is lifelong hearing loss.
Children are particularly vulnerable. Studies show that up to 60% of pediatric cancer patients treated with cisplatin develop some degree of hearing loss. Imagine beating cancer at age eight, only to struggle in school because you can’t hear the teacher. Or picture an adult survivor dealing with constant ringing in the ears—tinnitus—that no one else can hear. These are the unseen battles behind the statistics.
The damage happens because of how chemotherapy drugs are processed in the body. Cisplatin, for instance, creates oxidative stress that injures cochlear hair cells, the sensory cells responsible for detecting sound. With repeated doses, the damage compounds.
There is hope. Researchers are testing protective medications, such as sodium thiosulfate, which has shown promise in reducing hearing loss in children, though it’s not yet widely available. Some hospitals are also beginning to offer regular hearing tests during chemotherapy, but this is far from universal practice.
Too often, hearing loss is dismissed as “the price of survival.” But it doesn’t have to be. Patients and families deserve to be informed and protected. Hearing is not a luxury—it is central to learning, communication, and quality of life.
Cancer should not take more than it already does. As science advances, protecting hearing must become part of the conversation, so survivors don’t have to choose between life and sound.
