What follow-up care is recommended for patients treated for laryngeal cancer to monitor for recurrence?

Follow-up care for patients treated for laryngeal cancer should include tailored information for patients and carers about symptoms of recurrence and late effects of treatment at the end of curative therapy. This ensures patients are aware of what to monitor after treatment.

Structured, risk-adapted follow-up using locally agreed protocols is recommended. These protocols aim to improve quality of life by addressing psychosocial issues and to detect disease recurrence or second primary cancers. Techniques such as narrow-band imaging may be used to improve detection of recurrence.

There is no specific recommendation for routine radiological surveillance solely for detecting recurrence in asymptomatic patients, aligning with general cancer follow-up principles.

Overall, follow-up should be personalised, risk-based, and include patient education and symptom monitoring rather than routine imaging alone.

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