One in Three Head and Neck Cancer Survivors Still Have Supportive Care Needs at Five Years — Fear of Recurrence and Pain Drive Long-Term Demand

One in Three Head and Neck Cancer Survivors Still Have Supportive Care Needs at Five Years — Fear of Recurrence and Pain Drive Long-Term Demand

Longitudinal data from 403 head and neck cancer survivors show that while information and health-system needs decline between years 2 and 5, one-third report at least one moderate-to-high unmet supportive care need at year 5—notably fatigue and dry mouth—with fear of cancer recurrence and ongoing analgesic use being the strongest correlates.