Getting the basics right-staging in head and neck cancer

Abstract

The cornerstone of oncology literature and therefore medical practice is the ability to compare outcomes of treatment modalities for different stages of cancer. The head and neck represents a complicated anatomical region with multiple tumour sites and sub-sites. Modern management necessitates accurate staging to allow meaningful discussion between all members of the multidisciplinary team. Variations in techniques utilized for staging laryngeal cancer may lead to inconsistencies in staging and result in inaccuracies in interpreting comparative interventional studies. We call for standardisation in assessment of head and neck cancers in order to maximize the accuracy of clinical staging. We suggest a schema that we currently use in our institution for staging of all head and neck cancers and a schema for upper aero-digestive tract endoscopy.