Patients' preferences concerning follow-up after curative head and neck cancer treatment: A cross-sectional pilot study.

BACKGROUND

Evidence of the oncological benefit of scheduled follow-up in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma is weak; symptom-oriented self-referral may be an alternative. Patients' preferences regarding follow-up remain poorly investigated.

METHODS

We conducted a cross-sectional survey among patients undergoing follow-up at a tertiary outpatient clinic, focusing on their preferences, correlating factors, fear of recurrence, and willingness for participation in a randomized trial on follow-up.

RESULTS

Of 101 patients, 89.1% preferred scheduled follow-up to self-referral, 57% favored fewer visits than the current standard, and 85.1% endorsed regular imaging. Recurrence or second primary was associated with preference of intensive follow-up schedules (P = 0.02). There were trends for women and patients with high fear of recurrence score to favor intensive follow-up. Two-third of the participants declared willingness to participate in a randomized controlled trial.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients' preferences only partially correspond to current follow-up guidelines. Recruitment for randomized controlled studies evaluating the value of follow-up seems feasible.