title: Follow-up after treatment of squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity: current maxillofacial practice in the United Kingdom.
abstract: Although patients are commonly reviewed after primary treatment for squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the oral cavity, there is little evidence about the frequency and duration of such a review. To try and obtain further information about current practice within the United Kingdom we used a structured telephone questionnaire to contact 50 units. Most of them (n=40, 80%) had developed follow-up protocols, and 38 (76%) reviewed patients for 5 years. All units examined patients monthly for the first year, and 90% of patients were seen 2-monthly for the following year. Slight variations for follow-up existed in years 3 and 4, but by the fifth year, 6-monthly review was almost universal (96%). Despite this surprising concordance, few units implemented a risk-adapted follow-up protocol that was aimed at targeting those people likely to be cured of relapsing disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Royal Surrey County Hospital, Egerton Road, Guildford, Surrey, United Kingdom. c.kerawala@boltblue.com <c.kerawala@boltblue.com>
authors.forename: Cyrus J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Kerawala
authors.forename: Carrie
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Newlands
authors.forename: Darryl
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Coombes
mesh_terms: D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000601:surgery*; D002985:Clinical Protocols; D019230:Dental Audit; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D019647:Oral Surgical Procedures; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D019239:Practice Patterns, Dentists'; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D006113:United Kingdom