Medical liaisons for continuity of head and neck cancer care

The role of assistance in coordinating treatment and follow-up on the effectiveness and reliability of long-term care of head and neck cancer patients was evaluated. A comparison between the Department of Radiation Oncology, where a liaison team assists cancer patients, and the Department of Otolaryngology, where there were no such personnel, was made. Of 124 consecutive patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, 31 were treated with surgery alone and 93 had radiation therapy alone or in combination with surgery. Patients were nearly equally divided among stages, although a higher percentage receiving surgery were stage I and those receiving radiation were stage IV. Nineteen radiation patients and 1 surgery patient have died; this is consistent with the differences in stage distribution. Thirteen of 31 surgery patients had unreliable follow-up, with 7 lost to follow-up. Only 8 of 93 radiation patients were unreliable, with 4 lost. The difference is statistically significant. The importance of nursing/social work liaisons in coordinating treatment and follow-up of head and neck cancer patients is discussed.