Follow-up of head and neck cancer patients post-radiotherapy.

Diverging opinions exist regarding follow-up studies post-radiotherapy for head and neck cancer. This report describes the efficacy of follow-up physical examinations, thyroid function tests and screening chest X-rays in post-radiotherapy patients in a practice analysis schema. This analysis suggests that physical examination and thyroid function testing remain valid parts of routine follow-up for head and neck cancer patients; chest X-rays appear less vital unless the patient's clinical situation warrants aggressive therapy of a second primary lung cancer.