title: Pretreatment screening for distant metastases in the Dutch head and neck centers: 10 years later.
abstract: To evaluate the current practice and change in practice concerning screening for distant metastases in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma patients, we performed a survey with the same questionnaire as 10 years ago among the eight centers of the Dutch Head and Neck Society treating head and neck cancer in The Netherlands. Factors related to extensive lymph node metastases are the most frequent indication for screening for distant metastases. The combinations of whole body PET-CT and contrast-enhanced chest CT are nowadays the diagnostic techniques for routinely screening for distant metastases. Screening for distant metastases is performed more frequently than 10 years ago. Although the sensitivity of the diagnostic pathway needs to be improved, most centers are satisfied with the current diagnostic pathway. A reduction of variation in indications and diagnostic techniques used for screening for distant metastases is observed during the last 10 years. In future guidelines patients' selection and diagnostic tests need to be specified in more detail.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Asaf
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Senft
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Otto S
authors.initials: OS
authors.lastname: Hoekstra
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jonas A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Castelijns
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: C René
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Leemans
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. r.debree@umcutrecht.nl.|Department of Head and Neck Surgical Oncology, UMC Utrecht Cancer Center, Utrecht, The Netherlands. r.debree@umcutrecht.nl.
authors.forename: Remco
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: de Bree
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 / Q000494:pharmacology; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D000072078:Positron Emission Tomography Computed Tomography / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals / Q000494:pharmacology; D066231:Surgeons; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
chemical_list: D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18
keywords: Diagnostic techniques; Distant metastases; Indications; Screening; Survey