Original Research
Parents are aware of the ototoxic effects of chemotherapy in paediatrics undergoing cancer treatment – Professional versus parental views: A pilot study
Submitted: 31 August 2016 | Published: 27 February 2017
About the author(s)
Nomfundo F. Moroe, Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology, School of Human and Community Development, University of the Witwatersrand, South AfricaKirstie Hughes, Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology, School of Human and Community Development, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa
Abstract
Methods: A non-experimental quantitative study was conducted to collect data through questionnaires, one for paediatric oncologists and the other for parents. A convenience sampling strategy was employed to recruit 11 paediatric oncologists and 7 parents from two public hospitals in Gauteng. The questionnaires were analysed quantitatively, using descriptive statistics.
Results: About 55% of paediatric oncologists indicated informing parents about the ototoxic effects of chemotherapy. On the contrary, 71% of parents reported having been informed by paediatric oncologists about the possible hearing loss because of chemotherapy; however, 57% of the children are receiving a combination of cisplatin and cyclophosphamide despite being aware of their ototoxic nature.
Conclusion: This study paves the way for qualitative studies to ascertain how parents are informed about the possible side effects such as hearing loss because of chemotherapy treatment. The mode in which parents are informed about the possible side effects related to chemotherapy is critical, considering that a high number of children are still receiving chemotherapeutic drugs that are directly linked to hearing loss.
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