NAC to Prevent Cisplatin-induced Hearing Loss

Cisplatin is a key chemotherapy agent for the treatment of multiple childhood cancers but causes permanent hearing loss. This study investigates the drug N-acetylcysteine (NAC) to determine the dose necessary to protect hearing and also how well tolerated NAC is when combined with chemotherapy.

The study is a dose-finding study of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) to protect hearing in children receiving cisplatin for the treatment of their cancer. NAC also has potential to protect the kidneys from cisplatin toxicity. The study uses a 3+3 dose-escalation scheme to determine the dose of NAC necessary to achieve serum levels consistent with hearing protection in pre-clinical animal models. Three dose levels are predefined. Once the maximum tolerated dose is determined, an expansion cohort will then be enrolled to further evaluate tolerability as well as intra-patient and inter-patient variability in achieved serum levels. An option to enroll in a separate arm for study assessments only is available for those who do not wish to receive NAC. Hearing loss in the cohort will be assessed in the entire cohort in comparison to historical and non-treated children to evaluate for trends toward efficacy.