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Is There a Role for Robotic Surgery in the Treatment of Head and Neck Cancer?

  • Head and Neck Cancer (J-P Machiels, Section Editor)
  • Published:
Current Treatment Options in Oncology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Opinion statement

Given the potential for long-term toxicities from concurrent chemoradiation, there is great interest in surgery as a primary treatment modality for head and neck cancers, particularly in the younger HPV-positive oropharyngeal cancer patient. Transoral robotic surgery (TORS) has proven to be an effective technique to safely treat oropharyngeal and select supraglottic tumors surgically. Sound, traditional surgical principles are employed using improved endoscopic visualization and precise instrumentation to perform oncologic surgery without the morbidity of transmandibular or transcervical approaches. Although level 1 evidence prospective clinical trials are currently underway for TORS, the literature supports its safety and efficacy based on numerous studies. Currently, prospective randomized trials are underway to provide better evidence for or against TORS in oropharyngeal cancer. Patient selection based on comorbidities, anatomy, and available pathological data is critical in choosing patients for TORS.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Otolaryngology, Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, 1120 15th Street, BP 4109, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA

    J. Kenneth Byrd M.D.

  2. Department of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, 200 Lothrop Street, EEI 500, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA

    Robert L. Ferris M.D. Ph.D.

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  1. J. Kenneth Byrd M.D.
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Correspondence to Robert L. Ferris M.D. Ph.D..

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Byrd, J.K., Ferris, R.L. Is There a Role for Robotic Surgery in the Treatment of Head and Neck Cancer?. Curr. Treat. Options in Oncol. 17, 29 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11864-016-0405-5

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