In 2024, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) estimates there will be more than 71,000 new diagnoses of head and neck cancer (HNC).1 The incidence of HNC is rising in the United States partly due to an increase in human papillomavirus (HPV)-related oropharyngeal cancers,2 which have improved overall survival compared to the HPV-negative cancers typically linked to substance use.3, 4, 5 Coupled with advances in oncologic treatment, current 5-year survival rates now exceed 60%-80% for localized and locally advanced disease.6 As a result, the number of HNC survivors is increasing.

Despite improved survival trends, the treatment of HNC remains complex. Patients often require a multimodal treatment regimen involving a combination of surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, or immunotherapy.7 Treatment paradigms are continually evolving through the investigation of less invasive surgical techniques,8 de-escalated radiation therapy,9 and targeted therapies to reduce the toxicities of HNC treatment. Despite this evolution, patients remain at risk of many significant short and long-term side effects, including mucositis, xerostomia, taste changes, lymphedema, osteonecrosis, hypothyroidism, dysphagia, hearing loss, shoulder dysfunction, neuropathic pain, chronic fatigue, and malnutrition.10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 This debilitating sequela of HNC diagnosis and treatment can affect survivors’ functionality, quality of life (QOL), mental and emotional well-being, as well as financial stability.16, 17, 18, 19 Thus, the needs of HNC survivors post-treatment are vast.

The increasing number of HNC survivors, the longer duration of survivorship, and their complex needs necessitate a greater emphasis on survivorship care. While routine oncologic surveillance is a critical component of follow-up post-treatment, comprehensive management of HNC survivors must also effectively address the numerous lifelong impacts of the disease and its treatment, spanning from the post-treatment period through the duration of their lifetime.20 In this narrative review, we provide an overview of general frameworks for survivorship care and describe current and novel survivorship guidelines for patients treated for HNC.