Telephone triage of suspected head and neck cancer patients during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic using the Head and Neck Cancer Risk Calculator version 2

Abstract

Objective Utilisation of the Head and Neck Cancer Risk Calculator version 2 has been recommended during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic for the assessment of head and neck cancer referrals. As limited data were available, this study was conducted to analyse the use of the Head and Neck Cancer Risk Calculator version 2 in clinical practice. Method Patients undergoing telephone triage in a two-week wait referral clinic were included. Data were collected and analysed using appropriate methods. Results Sixty-four patients in the study were risk-stratified into low-risk (51.6 per cent, 33 of 64), moderate-risk (14.1 per cent, 9 of 64) and high-risk (34.4 per cent, 22 of 64) groups. Of the patients, 53.1 per cent (34 of 64) avoided an urgent hospital visit, and 96.9 per cent (62 of 64) were cancer free, while 3.1 per cent (2 of 64) were found to have a head and neck malignancy. The sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value and accuracy were 50.00 per cent, 66.13 per cent, 99.92 per cent and 66.11 per cent, respectively. Conclusion It is reasonable to use the calculator for triaging purposes, but it must always be accompanied by a meticulous clinical thought process.

Impact of COVID-19 on Head and Neck Cancer Advancement Measured by the Increasing Numbers of Acute Dyspnea Cases. What Can be Improved for the Future?

“…Our results point out that telemedicine was a popular means of providing healthcare during the pandemic, which has also been observed across different healthcare systems [17,22,25]. Patients developing acute, dynamic dyspnea mostly had one telemedical consultation, which led to an immediate referral to the hospital.…”

“…A point-based scoring algorithm was developed, the Surgical Prioritization and Ranking Tool and Navigation Aid for Head and Neck Cancer (SPARTAN-HN), which consistently strati es patients requiring HNC surgical care in the COVID-19 era [16]. Also, an attempt was made to rapidly implement a remote triaging system for the assessment of HNC referrals, utilizing the Head and Neck Cancer Risk Calculator version 2 [17].…”

Remote Triage Incorporating Symptom-Based Risk Stratification for Suspected Head and Neck Cancer Referrals: A Prospective Population-Based Study

“…Cancer Month 0, 2021 DISCUSSION This is the first multicenter study to report the effectiveness of remote triage incorporating risk stratification in patients referred to secondary care with suspected HNC. 16 It is also the first study of patients with suspected HNC to report medium-term outcomes to identify cancers that may have been missed by current diagnostic practices. This prospective multicenter study is uniquely placed to learn lessons from the changes in practice brought about by the initial peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom, and it offers significant insight into a real-world use of a remote triage system incorporating risk stratification in suspected HNC referrals.…”

Remote triage incorporating symptom‐based risk stratification for suspected head and neck cancer referrals: A prospective population‐based study

“…Cancer November 15, 2021 DISCUSSION This is the first multicenter study to report the effectiveness of remote triage incorporating risk stratification in patients referred to secondary care with suspected HNC. 16 It is also the first study of patients with suspected HNC to report medium-term outcomes to identify cancers that may have been missed by current diagnostic practices. This prospective multicenter study is uniquely placed to learn lessons from the changes in practice brought about by the initial peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom, and it offers significant insight into a real-world use of a remote triage system incorporating risk stratification in suspected HNC referrals.…”