[Lani]

I may have been unclear--the hair cells in the nose are affected as are other specialized cells such as Goblet cells in the airways. It may be that specialized cells in the GI tract are affected but these are not "hair cells" and may or may not have anything to do with infections within the GI tract.

I remember finding out herceptin affected the cells in the lacrimal gland (tear forming cells) but have not so far seen anything about cells in the ear (but now I will look).

This is just an illustration of my point. The PDR (reference book about drugs) and the info sheet packed with every drug is supposed to have complications listed even if they occur only in about 1 in 100,000 patients I had heard. Once the drug is taken widely they need to gather that info so it can be put on the labels and in the PDR (Physicinans' Desk Reference) How can they do that if the oncologists and drug companies are not actively asking about side effects, writing them down, sending them on and tabulating them?

I don't think they truly understand the causes of tinnitus, but it is associated with certain drugs, like aspiring. Have you tried to check out if it is listed as a DELAYED side effect after any of the chemotherapies you received?

I will try to check out if it has been described with herceptin.