TORS for Oropharyngeal Carcinoma: Surgical Margins and Oncological Outcomes

“When we talk about outcomes,” says Dr. Kaustubh Patel, Director & Head, Department of Head Neck Surgical Oncology, Aastha Oncology Associates, HCG Cancer Centre, Ahmedabad, “this probably is the only factor, which is modifiable in the hands of surgeons.”

Dr. Patel was referring to negative margins for oropharyngeal cancer, as he addressed the Robotic Surgeons Council of India. He talked about the importance of studying tissue removed for safe surgical margins, free of cancer. To prevent patients from subsequently dying of cancer, “We have to take more than one margin!”

A fascinating look at statistics directing surgeons to revise their attempts to achieve negative margins (removed tumor tissue with borders free of cancer- meaning all of the cancer was removed, according to pathologic confirmation).

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Transoral Robotic Surgery for Oropharyngeal Carcinoma: Surgical Margins and Oncological Outcomes. Lecture, with PPT’s photo, 10:32.