New guideline addresses long-term needs of head and neck cancer survivors

On March 22, 2016 a new American Cancer Society guideline provides clinicians with recommendations on key areas of clinical follow-up care for survivors of head and neck cancer, a growing population numbering approximately 436,060 and accounting for 3% of all cancer survivors living in the United States.

Head and neck cancer will account for an estimated 61,760 new cancer cases in the United States in 2016, and long-term survival is increasingly common in this population. Tobacco use and alcohol consumption together account for an estimated three out of four cases of head and neck cancer. Human papillomavirus is also a risk factor, accounting for as many as seven out of ten oropharyngeal cancers. Read more here.