title: Comparison of functional outcomes and quality of life between transoral surgery and definitive chemoradiotherapy for oropharyngeal cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The purpose of this study was to compare patient-reported outcomes between patients treated by initial transoral resection versus definitive chemoradiotherapy for oropharyngeal cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-one patients with oropharyngeal cancer treated by initial transoral CO2 laser microsurgery (n = 16) or robotic surgery (n = 15) followed by postoperative radiotherapy were identified. Each patient was matched to 1 control patient treated by definitive chemoradiotherapy. The University of Washington Quality of Life (UW-QOL) scores at 1 year were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No significant differences were observed in any of the UW-QOL functional domains at 1 year with the exception of swallowing (91.5 vs 72.1; p = .01). Twenty-three of 31 patients (74%) treated by transoral surgery reported swallowing "as well as ever," versus 10 of 31 patients (32%) treated by chemoradiotherapy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Similar quality of life was observed among patients treated by transoral surgery or chemoradiotherapy. Although the rates of subjective swallowing dysfunction were higher among the latter, confounding biases must be considered.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, California.
authors.forename: Allen M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Megan E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Daly
authors.forename: Quang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Luu
authors.forename: Paul J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Donald
authors.forename: D Gregory
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Farwell
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D059248:Chemoradiotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003679:Deglutition / Q000502:physiology; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D053685:Laser Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019647:Oral Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods; D009959:Oropharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D065287:Robotic Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: function; oropharyngeal cancer; radiation therapy; squamous cell carcinoma; transoral surgery