Long-term survival outcomes after primary transoral robotic surgery (TORS) with concurrent neck dissection for early-stage oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma

Background: In 2013, transoral robotic surgery (TORS) was implemented as a protocolled treatment alternative to the traditional radiotherapy (RT) in Denmark for oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC). In 2017, we published our first prospective feasibility study, showing that TORS with concurrent neck dissection successfully achieved negative margins in 29 out of 30 patients (97%) with early-stage OPSCC. Aims/objectives: This follow-up study aims to evaluate the five-year overall survival (OS), disease-specific survival (DSS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS). Methods: Retrospective follow-up study including 30 patients treated with TORS for early-stage OPSCC (T1–T2, N0–N1, M0, UICC 7th edition) from September 2014 to January 2016 at a single head and neck cancer centre in Denmark. The five-year OS, DSS and RFS, including a detailed analysis of the recurrences, were addressed. Results: The five-year OS, DSS and RFS was 90%, 93% and 87%, respectively. Median follow-up was 54.5 months. Four patients developed a recurrence, with one regional, one distant metastatic (M) and two locoregional recurrences. The median time to recurrence was 24 months (range 3–42 months). Conclusions and significance: This follow-up study demonstrates good five-year OS, DSS and RFS in a prospective cohort of patients undergoing TORS and neck dissection for early-stage OPSCC.