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Two-Year Survival Analysis of 50 Consecutive Head and Neck Cancer Patients Treated with Transoral Robotic Surgery in a Single European Centre

  • Head and Neck Oncology
  • Published:
Annals of Surgical Oncology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background

To date, this prospective cohort study is the largest of its kind from a single European academic tertiary care center to report 2-year survival outcomes for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma treated primarily with transoral robotic-assisted resection.

Patients and Methods

Fifty consecutive, appropriately staged patients were enrolled prospectively, and underwent transoral robotic surgery (TORS) between September 2011 and August 2013. Overall, 24 patients had a T1 primary tumor, 23 had a T2 primary tumor, 2 had a T3 primary tumor, and 1 had a T4a primary tumor. Eighteen patients had overall stage I–II disease, and 32 patients had stage III–IV disease. Following transoral robotic resection of their primaries and appropriate neck dissection(s) as indicated, adjuvant treatment could be spared for 20 patients; another 5 patients refused the recommended adjuvant treatment. Seventeen patients received 60 Gy adjuvant radiotherapy and 8 patients underwent 66 Gy adjuvant chemoradiotherapy.

Results

At the time of the last follow-up visit (median 27 months), overall survival was 94 %, with two disease-specific deaths and one unrelated death (heart attack). The 2-year disease-free and recurrence-free survival rates were 88 and 80 %, respectively; however, the local recurrence rate was only 10 % after 2 years.

Conclusion

Using TORS as their primary modality, 40 % of patients did not need adjuvant treatment and showed similar survival rates to that of conventional surgery or primary chemoradiotherapy. In another 34 % of patients, adjuvant chemotherapy could be spared and adjuvant radiotherapy could be reduced by 10 Gy compared with primary chemoradiotherapy of 70 Gy. Further studies are warranted with respect to long-term survival.

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Conflict of interest

This work has not received any specific funding. Balazs B. Lörincz, Nikolaus Möckelmann, Chia-Jung Busch, Adrian Münscher, Susanne Sehner, Carsten V. Dalchow, and Rainald Knecht declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery and Oncology, Head and Neck Cancer Centre of the Hubertus Wald University Cancer Centre Hamburg, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany

    Balazs B. Lörincz MD, Nikolaus Möckelmann MD, Chia-Jung Busch MD, Adrian Münscher MD, PhD, Carsten V. Dalchow MD, PhD & Rainald Knecht MD, PhD

  2. Department of Medical Biometry and Epidemiology, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany

    Susanne Sehner MSc

Authors
  1. Balazs B. Lörincz MD
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  2. Nikolaus Möckelmann MD
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  3. Chia-Jung Busch MD
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  4. Adrian Münscher MD, PhD
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  5. Susanne Sehner MSc
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  6. Carsten V. Dalchow MD, PhD
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  7. Rainald Knecht MD, PhD
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Correspondence to Balazs B. Lörincz MD or Rainald Knecht MD, PhD.

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Lörincz, B.B., Möckelmann, N., Busch, CJ. et al. Two-Year Survival Analysis of 50 Consecutive Head and Neck Cancer Patients Treated with Transoral Robotic Surgery in a Single European Centre. Ann Surg Oncol 22 (Suppl 3), 1028–1033 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1245/s10434-015-4581-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1245/s10434-015-4581-5

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