Breast Cancer Hearing and Balance Side Effects Worsen With Age

Hearing loss and balance problems, like vertigo or dizziness, are known breast cancer treatment side effects. But how these issues affect different groups and people’s daily lives hasn’t been studied much, until now.

A survey of nearly 1,500 people treated for breast cancer found that white survivors were more likely to have hearing loss compared to all other groups, and Black survivors were more likely to have vertigo. If you have vertigo, it feels like the world around you is spinning.

Additionally, Black survivors were more likely to say they had tinnitus (ringing in the ears). Anyone who reported tinnitus, hearing loss, or vertigo also noted more problems meeting the physical demands of daily life, including exercising, walking, lifting or carrying things like groceries, or bending or kneeling.

Overall, about 17% of the people in the study said they had tinnitus. About 17% reported hearing loss, and about 9% reported vertigo. The percentage of people with these side effects increased with age. Rates of tinnitus went up from 5% at age 40 to 31% at age 90; rates of vertigo went up from 5% at age 40 to 14% at age 90. Hearing loss rose from 5% at age 40 to 50% at age 90.

It’s unclear if these rates of hearing problems and vertigo in women with a history of breast cancer were different from the rates in the general population of older women.

The researchers said the findings suggest that breast cancer survivors should be referred to specialists, such as an audiologist, to be  screened for hearing and balance problems. “Hearing/vestibular problems are prevalent among older adults and cancer survivors, and represent an emerging public health concern,” they wrote.