BACKGROUND
Background: In head and neck squamous cell carcinoma patients (HNSCC), post-treatment surveillance for distant disease is mostly focusing on the lungs, as HNSCC distant metastasis occurs in this organ in 90% of the cases and a high rate of primary of the lungs can be expected due to field cancerization of the entire upper aerodigestive tract.
OBJECTIVE
Objective: The survey aimed to evaluate the current beliefs and pulmonary screening practices among otolaryngology-head & neck surgeons across Saudi Arabia in the post-treatment surveillance of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.
METHODS
Methods: This is a nation-wide cross-sectional survey was conducted among Head and Neck surgeon members of the Saudi Society of Otolaryngology during 1– 30 June 2020. A predesigned questionnaire was used for data collection, and descriptive analysis was carried out.
RESULTS
Results: The study included 22 participants with a 78% response rate. The study found that the majority, 40.9% used lung radiography, followed by 31.8%, used low dose CT for routine lung screening during the post-treatment follow-up. Regarding the duration of lung screening during follow-up, the majority (77.3%) reported five years duration, and only 9.1% performed lung screening lifelong. As regards the frequency of lung screening, 77.3% reported annual screening, 18.2% half-yearly, and 4.5% biennially. Regarding believed effectiveness of the screening procedures in reducing lung cancer mortality during the follow-up, 36.4% believed it to be very effective or somewhat effective, 18.2% don’t know, and only 9.1% believed that it was not effective.
CONCLUSIONS
Conclusion: the majority used lung radiography, low dose CT and PET/CT as a routine lung screening during the post-treatment follow-up of head and neck cancer for mainly five years, ten years, and only a small percent performed lung screening lifelong. Lung screening was mostly annually or half-yearly. The screening is believed to be very effective or somewhat effective.
CLINICALTRIAL