IMPORTANCE: A major goal of primary transoral robotic surgery (TORS) for oropharyngeal cancer is to optimize swallowing outcomes by personalized treatment based on pathologic staging. However, swallowing outcomes after TORS are uncertain, as are the outcomes compared with nonsurgical options. OBJECTIVES: To estimate rates of acute dysphagia and recovery after TORS and to compare swallowing outcomes by primary treatment modality (TORS or radiotherapy). DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This case series study was a secondary analysis of prospective registry data from 257 patients enrolled from March 1, 2015, to February 28, 2018, at a single academic institution who, according to the AJCC Staging Manual, 7th edition TNM classification, had low- to intermediate-risk human papillomavirus-related oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma possibly resectable by TORS. EXPOSURE: Patients were stratified by primary treatment (75 underwent TORS and 182 received radiotherapy). MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Modified barium swallow (MBS) studies graded per Dynamic Imaging Grade of Swallowing Toxicity (DIGEST) and the MD Anderson Symptom Inventory-Head and Neck Module (MDASI-HN) questionnaires were administered at standard intervals. Prevalence and severity of dysphagia were estimated per DIGEST before and after TORS and 3 to 6 months after treatment. Moderate-severe dysphagia (DIGEST grade ≥2) was assessed using logistic regression and compared by primary treatment group. The MDASI swallowing symptom severity item scores during and after radiotherapy were compared using generalized estimating equations by treatment status at the start of radiotherapy, after induction, and after TORS. RESULTS: A total of 257 patients (mean [SD] age, 59.54 [9.07] years; 222 [86.4%] male) were included in the study. Dysphagia severity (per DIGEST) was significantly worse after TORS (r = -0.63; 95% CI, -0.78 to -0.44): 17 patients (22.7%; 95% CI, 13.8%-33.8%) had moderate-severe (DIGEST grade ≥2) acute post-TORS dysphagia significantly associated with primary tumor volume (odds ratio, 1.43; 95% CI, 1.11-1.84). DIGEST improved by 3 to 6 months but remained worse than that at baseline; at 3 to 6 months, the number of patients with DIGEST grade 2 or higher dysphagia was 5 (6.7%; 95% CI, 2.2%-14.9%) after primary TORS and 29 (15.9%; 95% CI, 10.9%-22.1%) after radiotherapy. At the start of radiotherapy, MDASI swallowing symptom severity item scores were significantly worse in the post-TORS group compared with postinduction (mean [SD] change, 2.6 [1.1]) and treatment-naive (mean [SD] change, 1.7 [0.3]) patients. This result inverted at radiotherapy end, and all groups converged at 3 to 6 months. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Subacute swallowing outcomes were similar regardless of primary treatment modality among patients with low- to intermediate-risk oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma.
IMPORTANCE: A major goal of primary transoral robotic surgery (TORS) for oropharyngeal cancer is to optimize swallowing outcomes by personalized treatment based on pathologic staging. However, swallowing outcomes after TORS are uncertain, as are the outcomes compared with nonsurgical options. OBJECTIVES: To estimate rates of acute dysphagia and recovery after TORS and to compare swallowing outcomes by primary treatment modality (TORS or radiotherapy). DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This case series study was a secondary analysis of prospective registry data from 257 patients enrolled from March 1, 2015, to February 28, 2018, at a single academic institution who, according to the AJCC Staging Manual, 7th edition TNM classification, had low- to intermediate-risk human papillomavirus-related oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma possibly resectable by TORS. EXPOSURE: Patients were stratified by primary treatment (75 underwent TORS and 182 received radiotherapy). MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Modified barium swallow (MBS) studies graded per Dynamic Imaging Grade of Swallowing Toxicity (DIGEST) and the MD Anderson Symptom Inventory-Head and Neck Module (MDASI-HN) questionnaires were administered at standard intervals. Prevalence and severity of dysphagia were estimated per DIGEST before and after TORS and 3 to 6 months after treatment. Moderate-severe dysphagia (DIGEST grade ≥2) was assessed using logistic regression and compared by primary treatment group. The MDASI swallowing symptom severity item scores during and after radiotherapy were compared using generalized estimating equations by treatment status at the start of radiotherapy, after induction, and after TORS. RESULTS: A total of 257 patients (mean [SD] age, 59.54 [9.07] years; 222 [86.4%] male) were included in the study. Dysphagia severity (per DIGEST) was significantly worse after TORS (r = -0.63; 95% CI, -0.78 to -0.44): 17 patients (22.7%; 95% CI, 13.8%-33.8%) had moderate-severe (DIGEST grade ≥2) acute post-TORS dysphagia significantly associated with primary tumor volume (odds ratio, 1.43; 95% CI, 1.11-1.84). DIGEST improved by 3 to 6 months but remained worse than that at baseline; at 3 to 6 months, the number of patients with DIGEST grade 2 or higher dysphagia was 5 (6.7%; 95% CI, 2.2%-14.9%) after primary TORS and 29 (15.9%; 95% CI, 10.9%-22.1%) after radiotherapy. At the start of radiotherapy, MDASI swallowing symptom severity item scores were significantly worse in the post-TORS group compared with postinduction (mean [SD] change, 2.6 [1.1]) and treatment-naive (mean [SD] change, 1.7 [0.3]) patients. This result inverted at radiotherapy end, and all groups converged at 3 to 6 months. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Subacute swallowing outcomes were similar regardless of primary treatment modality among patients with low- to intermediate-risk oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma.
Authors: Lauren Ottenstein; Hannah Cornett; Jeffrey M Switchenko; Meghana Nathan; Susan Thomas; Amanda I Gillespie; Nancy McColloch; Tiffany Barrett; Matthew B Studer; Meghan Brinkman; Azeem S Kaka; Brian J Boyce; Robert L Ferris; Ashley H Aiken; Mark El-Deiry; Jonathan J Beitler; Mihir R Patel Journal: Head Neck Date: 2021-02-05 Impact factor: 3.147
Authors: Andrew J Holcomb; Rachael Kammer; Allison Holman; Tessa Goldsmith; Vasu Divi; Heather M Starmer; Joseph Zenga; Ryan Li; Urjeet A Patel; Jeremy D Richmon Journal: J Robot Surg Date: 2022-08-07
Authors: Mihir R Patel; Lauren Ottenstein; Martha Ryan; Annie Farrell; Matthew Studer; H Michael Baddour; Kelly Magliocca; Christopher Griffith; William Stokes; Jeffrey Switchenko; Ashley Aiken; Mark El-Deiry; C Arturo Solares; Conor Steuer; Nabil Saba; Jonathan Beitler Journal: Oral Oncol Date: 2021-04-17 Impact factor: 5.337
Authors: Carly E A Barbon; Christopher M K L Yao; Clare P Alvarez; Ryan P Goepfert; Clifton D Fuller; Stephen Y Lai; Neil D Gross; Katherine A Hutcheson Journal: Head Neck Date: 2021-06-03 Impact factor: 3.821
Authors: Susanne I Scott; Anne Kathrine Ø Madsen; Niclas Rubek; Birgitte W Charabi; Irene Wessel; Sara Fredslund Hadjú; Claus V Jensen; Sarah Stephen; Joanne M Patterson; Jeppe Friborg; Kathrine A Hutcheson; Henrik Kehlet; Christian von Buchwald Journal: Cancer Med Date: 2020-12-04 Impact factor: 4.452
Authors: R Martino; M I Fitch; C D Fuller; A Hope; G Krisciunas; S E Langmore; C Lazarus; C L Macdonald; T McCulloch; G Mills; D A Palma; K Pytynia; J Ringash; K Sultanem; J Theurer; K E Thorpe; K Hutcheson Journal: BMC Cancer Date: 2021-10-13 Impact factor: 4.430