Management guidelines for head and neck cancers such as those of the NCCN are often inappropriate for limited resource settings due to lack of access to special investigations, radiation therapy, and even thyroid and calcium replacement. Hence the AfHNS has promulgated these management guidelines that are adapted to limited resource settings. These guidelines will assist clinicians to provide appropriate best practice that will benefit patients with head and neck cancers living in developing countries.
The guidelines have been formulated by African head and neck surgeons and oncologists, in consultation with American and European colleagues. The first guideline topics are Management of thyroid masses and parotid tumours. As the AfHNS Clinical Practice Guidelines for Head & Neck Oncology is a work in progress, additional tumour sites will be added in the future.
The NCCN and other guidelines are used as the Developed World “Gold Standard” and have been modified using the ADAPTE process and expert opinion.
African Head and Neck Society (AfHNS) 