Follow-Up in Head and Neck Cancer: A Management Dilemma

Table 1

Guidelines for follow-up intervals for head and neck cancers.

	NCCN		AIRO		BAHNO
	Clinical exam	Imaging	Clinical exam	Imaging	Clinical exam	Imaging
Year 1	Every 1–3 mo	Within 6 mo	Every 1-2 mo	Every 6 mo	Every 4–6 we	Within 3 mo
Year 2	Every 2–6 mo	—	Every 2-3 mo	Every 6 mo	Every 4–6 we	—
Year 3	Every 4–8 mo	—	Every 4–6 mo	—^*	Every 3 mo	—
Year 4	Every 4–8 mo	—	Every 4–6 mo	—^*	Every 6 mo	—
Year 5	Every 4–8 mo	—	Every 4–6 mo	—	Every 6 mo	—
>5 years	Every 12 mo	—	Every 6–12 mo	—	Every 12 mo	—

If nasopharynx, RM every 6 months for 4 years.
NCCN: National Comprehensive Cancer Network; AIRO: Associazione Italiana Radioterapia Oncologica; BAHNO: British Association of Head and Neck Oncologists; mo: month; we: week.