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Oncological and functional outcomes for transoral robotic surgery versus radiotherapy in T1-2 N0-1 p16+ oropharyngeal carcinoma

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 April 2025

Chang Woo Lee Open the ORCID record for Chang Woo Lee [Opens in a new window] ,
Wei Jia ,
Roanna Norman ,
Alex Dando ,
Susan Swain ,
Francesca Hilder ,
Maxine Flubacher ,
Joseph Davies ,
Oliver Donnelly  and
Jon Bird
...Show all authors
Chang Woo Lee*
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust, Poole, UK
Wei Jia
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust, Poole, UK
Roanna Norman
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust, Poole, UK
Alex Dando
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust, Poole, UK
Susan Swain
Affiliation:
Department of Speech and Language Therapy, University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust, Poole, UK
Francesca Hilder
Affiliation:
Department of Speech and Language Therapy, University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust, Poole, UK
Maxine Flubacher
Affiliation:
Department of Oncology, University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust, Poole, UK
Joseph Davies
Affiliation:
Department of Oncology, University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust, Poole, UK
Oliver Donnelly
Affiliation:
Department of Oncology, University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust, Poole, UK Department of Oncology, Queen Alexandra Hospital, Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust, Portsmouth, UK
Jon Bird
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust, Poole, UK
Neil De Zoysa
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust, Poole, UK
Emma King
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust, Poole, UK
*
Corresponding author: Chang Woo Lee; Email: changwoo.lee@nhs.net
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Abstract

Objectives

Oncological and functional outcomes for T1-2 N0-1 (TNMv8) p16-positive oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma patients were analysed according to treatment: either transoral robotic surgery (TORS) (Surgery group – TORS and neck dissection ± adjuvant radiotherapy/chemoradiotherapy) or primary radiotherapy/chemoradiotherapy (Oncology group).

Methods

Single-centre retrospective observational study.

Results

The two-year disease-free survival rate was 88 per cent for the Oncology group (n = 42) and 95 per cent for the Surgery group (n = 44). The two-year overall survival rate was 98 per cent for the Oncology group and 100 per cent for the Surgery group. The functional swallowing outcome at two years post-treatment was similar in both groups. Subgroup analysis showed patients treated with surgery-only with no adjuvant treatment had the best functional outcome whilst patients treated with surgery and post-operative chemoradiotherapy had the worst functional outcome.

Conclusion

The overall oncological and functional outcomes at two years were similar in both groups. Patients treated with surgery-only had the best functional outcome without compromised oncological outcome.

Keywords

head and neck cancerhead and neck surgeryoncologyoropharynxswallowing

Information

Type
Main Article
Information
The Journal of Laryngology & Otology , Volume 139 , Issue 8 , August 2025 , pp. 730 - 737
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of J.L.O. (1984) LIMITED.

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Footnotes

Chang Woo Lee takes responsibility for the integrity of the content of the paper

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