title: The value of follow-up in patients treated for squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.
abstract: Clinical findings, treatment and results have been recorded prospectively in 661 patients with carcinoma of the head and neck. With an average follow-up of 3 years 7813 follow-up consultations revealed 220 recurrences. The overall "recurrence pick-up rate" and subsequent "cure rate" was 1:36 and 1:113 consultations, respectively. Laryngeal carcinomas treated with radiotherapy and oral carcinomas receiving radiotherapy and limited resections showed recurrence "cure-rates" of 1:89 and 1:110, respectively. For other tumour sites the average "cure-rate" was 1:238. Only 39% of the recurrences were detected through physical examination. Follow-up consultations revealed 9.1% of second primaries. More time should be spent on training patients to recognise symptoms and signs of recurrence. Routine follow-up is rarely indicated beyond the third year after completion of treatment, or in patients for whom we have little to offer in terms of curative treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, University of Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Boysen
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Lövdal
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tausjö
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Winther
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000556:secondary* / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors