Current Indications for Transoral Robotic Surgery in Oropharyngeal Cancer

The incidence of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) is increasing dramatically and is conclusively linked to increasing rates of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. HPV-related oropharyngeal cancers have been shown to occur in a unique demographic group and show favorable oncologic outcomes compared with HPV-negative OPSCC. There has been a paradigm shift in the treatment of early-stage OPSCC, with most patients now undergoing primary surgery in the United States. Transoral robotic surgery is associated with excellent oncologic and functional outcomes in the treatment of OPSCC and is increasingly being used for a broader range of oropharyngeal indications.