More recent studies investigating pharmacogenetic factors as predictors of cisplatin-induced ototoxicity in head and neck cancer patients revealed that COMT (catechol-O-methyltransferase) allele carriers had higher ototoxicity risk, whereas carriers of MATE1 (multidrug and toxin extrusion) allele were better protected from such side effects [12]. This evidence concerns the gene COMT and head and neck cancer.