I've had Erbitux, an EGFR inhibitor, with Taxotere in 2012 along with radiation, but it was for a recurrence with prior therapy failure. Now it's available as first line treatment. Two things they initially watch for is anaphylactic shock, and heart failure, which can happen in very rare cases, usually first or second dose, but is severe enough to warrant close monitoring, which they do and the patient is to report any symptoms. It seems the south east has a higher rate of negative effects, and those centers that do experience this may give smaller initial doses.

Otherwise, the worst part of Erbitux is the skin rash, which is not an indication how well the drug is working, but just a side effect of the EGFR inhibitor. Such can be treated with tetracycline antibiotics, and others. Some other side effects, like mucocitis, can be worse than it is with cisplation, and a few others, but otherwise it's tolerable, but not as easy as the Carboplatin I had, but I had the Erbitux with Taxotere. This combination was found to be superior to other treatments like Cisplatin. See below.

There is a small percentage, I believe around 5% in head and neck cancer, that have an EGFR resistance. With colorectal it's even higher like 40%, and they do KRAS gene mutation testing, and if they don't have the mutation, they don't get the Erbitux. I've since heard of some biomarker testing in head and neck cancer Patients for better selection, and medication to overcome resistance, but not sure if it's still in testing.

Sometimes it's difficult to choose between treatments when presented with two or sometimes even more different types of treatments, but once presented with the details, a timely informed decision has to be made. I don't think it would make much difference with a loading dose of Erbitux and week wait for radiation vs simultaneous start of Carboplatin and radiation, and sometimes even with that there can be a few days difference in the start of either one. The Erbitux would be sensitizing the tumors for radiation, and have an effect on it.

The Erbitux loading dose, is usually around 400mg, and 250mg weekly thereafter for the duration of radiation, 6-7 weeks. If they feel radiation delay matters any, I heard of radiation oncologists increasing the radiation dosage, plus it's best when they keep the treatment package less than 100 days for optimal treatment vs other factors.

Your concern seems to be the hearing. Carboplatin can have an effect on that too like Cisplatin, which are both platinum based. I've heard, minus already hearing impairment, hearing damage is more in large cispla doses over 100mg or accumulation of over 300mg. I've heard of other chemos being used in such hearing imparment cases as yours, but otherwise in other patients with the onset of symptoms the infusion rate can be slowed, chemo switched or stopped altogether to prevent permanent hearing loss, and should be followed by an audiologist before, during and after treatment.

http://www.cancernetwork.com/head-neck-cancer/docetaxel-regimen-tops-cisplatin-head-and-neck-cancer

I hope this helps