Background: Cancer risk assessment models are used to support prevention and early detection. However, few models have been developed for head and neck cancer (HNC).Methods: A rapid review of Embase and MEDLINE identified n = 3045 articles. Following dual screening, n = 14 studies were included. Quality appraisal using the PRO-BAST (risk of bias) instrument was conducted, and a narrative synthesis was performed to identify the best performing models in terms of risk factors and designs.Results: Six of the 14 models were assessed as "high" quality. Of these, three had high predictive performance achieving area under curve values over 0.8 (0.87-0.89).The common features of these models were their inclusion of predictors carefully tailored to the target population/anatomical subsite and development with external validation.Conclusions: Some existing models do possess the potential to identify and stratify those at risk of HNC but there is scope for improvement.head and neck cancer, review, risk, risk assessment, risk model
| INTRODUCTIONHead and neck squamous cell carcinomas-generally defined as aerodigestive squamous cancers of the oral cavity, larynx, and pharynxare a growing challenge for healthcare systems across the world: they are the eighth most common cancer, accounting for an estimated 878,348 new cases and 444,347 deaths globally in 2020. 1,2 The risk profile of head and neck cancer (HNC) is also changing-with oropharyngeal cancer increasingly associated with human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, 3 and inequalities in the burden of HNC associated with socioeconomic status. 4 Overall HNC survival varies greatly by subsite and stage of diagnosis. Despite advancement in treatments, 5-year survival has seen no major improvements observed in recent decades. [5][6][7] Furthermore, marginal improvements in prognosis may be undercut by the overall increased disease burden, particularly due to the changing epidemiology of HPV-associated oropharyngeal cancer. 8,9 As with all cancers, prognosis is worse with advanced stage disease at presentation. Thus, a major challenge posed by HNC is its traditionally late presentation with over half of cases diagnosed at stage III or IV, when locally advanced or regional or distant metastases are present. [10][11][12][13][14] Given the twin challenges of increasing HNC incidence and poor survival associated with late-stage detection, further attention needs to be given to primary and secondary prevention strategies-utilizing the potential of head and neck risk prediction models to identify those