Robotic surgery in the treatment of oropharyngeal cancer: a case report

Abstract

Background. The incidence of HpV-associated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (oscc) is steadily increasing. given the better prognosis in patients with HpV-positive cancer compared to HpV-negative cancer, attempts were made to reduce the therapeutic effect in patients with early-stage oscc to improve the quality of life of these patients. early-stage oscc can currently been treated with radiation therapy or surgery used alone or in combination. Currently, the concept of transoral surgery includes both transoral laser microsurgery and robot-assisted surgeries (da Vinci, medrobotics Flex system). Case description. We report a case of using the da Vinci robot-assisted system in the combined modality treatment of oropharyngeal cancer. The patient underwent surgery followed by chemoradiotherapy. At a follow-up of 10 months, no evidence of disease progression was found. The patient experienced no any pain on swallowing.Conclusion. The use of the da Vinci robot-assisted surgical system in the combined modality treatment of oropharyngeal cancer, especially in such a hard-to-reach area as the root of the tongue, makes it possible to better visualize and determine the boundaries of the lesion, followed by en block resection, as well as to improve functional and aesthetic results. However, careful selection of patients for this type of treatment is necessary.