Follow-up in Head and Neck Cancer: Do More Does It Mean Do Better? A Systematic Review and Our Proposal Based on Our Experience

• Published in: Clinical and experimental otorhinolaryngology Vol. 9; no. 4; pp. 287 - 297
• Main Authors: Denaro, Nerina, Merlano, Marco Carlo, Russi, Elvio Grazioso
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Korea (South) Korean Society of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery 01.12.2016; 대한이비인후과학회
• Subjects: Head and Neck Neoplasms; Human Papillomavirus; Imaging; Review; Second Primary Tumor; Surveillance; 이비인후과학; Second Primary Tumor; Human Papillomavirus; Surveillance; Imaging; Head and Neck Neoplasms
• ISSN: 1976-8710; 2005-0720
• DOI: 10.21053/ceo.2015.00976

As the patients population ages, cancer screening increases, and cancer treatments improve, millions more head and neck carcinoma (HNC) patients will be classified as cancer survivors in the future. Change in epidemiology with human papillomavirus related HNC leads to a number of young treated patients. After treatment for HNC intensive surveillance, including ear, nose and throat (ENT) endoscopy, imaging, and serology, confers a survival benefit that became less evident in unresectable recurrence. We performed a comprehensive revision of literature and analyzed the experience of our centre. We revised publications on this topic and added data derived from the interdisciplinary work of experts within medical oncology, ENT, and radiation oncology scientific societies. We retrospectively collected local and distant recurrence of chemoradiation treated patients at Santa Croce and Carle University Hospital. A HNC follow-up program is not already codified and worldwide accepted. There is a need of scheduled follow-up. We suggest adopting a standardized follow-up guideline, although a multidisciplinary approach is frequently requested to tailor surveillance program and treatment on each patient.