The type of treatment affected the risk of recurrence in this retrospective series. Local recurrences carried a chance for successful salvage treatment. Routine follow-up beyond 36 months remains controversial. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 39: 555-563, 2017.

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The overall survival pattern of HNC patients depends not only on their cancer characteristics, but also varies greatly according to their age and comorbidities. Our findings support the need for individualized treatment and follow-up protocols, and active management of comorbid diseases. Appropriate methods for analyzing competing risks should be used when presenting survival estimates of cancer patients.