Transoral robotic surgery in patients with stage III/IV hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma: treatment outcome and prognostic factor

Background: We aimed to reduce the morbidity related to treatment and to preserve organ function in patients with hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (HPSCC) by applying a new surgical treatment protocol based on transoral robotic surgery (TORS). Aims/objectives: In this study, we analyzed the prognostic factors related to survival to confirm the validity and effectiveness of TORS in patients with advanced-stage HPSCC. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the data of 44 HPSCC patients who had undergone TORS-based therapy. Results: In univariate analysis, only the surgical marginal status showed a statistically significant correlation with the survival of the patients (p =.009). In multivariate analysis, surgical margin status was the only statistically significant prognostic factor related to survival (p =.008). Forty-one patients (93.2%) recovered speech function sufficiently to perform daily conversation without artificial aids. Forty-one patients (93.2%) were able to ingest food orally. Conclusions: In the treatment of advanced hypopharyngeal cancer, TORS-based therapy helped the surgeon obtain a clear surgical margin in patients with HPSCC, and it showed superior oncologic and functional outcomes compared to the existing treatment methods.