Routine follow‐up care for head and neck cancer after curative treatment: A 3‐year experience of measuring patients' self‐reported needs, preferences, quality of life and attitudes towards follow‐up

Objective To evaluate and describe attitudes, quality of life (Qol), needs and preferences of patients with head and neck cancer after 3 years of follow‐up care. Methods This is an exploratory prospective study of recurrence‐free patients. Survey results were compared between 1‐, 2‐ and 3‐year post‐treatment and by disease characteristics. Results A total of 116 patients were included with 46% oropharyngeal cancer, 66% early stage disease and 41% having had surgery. After 3 years, most patients reported good to excellent health (88%), however expressed uncertainty regarding recurrence (66%), multiple needs (information on prognosis 91%, long‐term sequalae 72%) and wanted to continue with follow‐up (96%). Few changes were observed over time, with exceptions. Patients with more advanced disease, oral cancer or who had surgery experienced declining Qol (p