title: Transoral robotic surgery for the management of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma of unknown primary.
abstract: CONCLUSIONS
  The addition of transoral robotic surgery (TORS) in the diagnostic management of patients classified with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma of unknown primary (SCCUP) is promising and appears to improve detection rates of the primary tumour. The approach presented in this first Scandinavian study could potentially minimize the radiation field to the pharyngeal axis in patients with identified primary tumours.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the study was to investigate whether bilateral lingual tonsillectomy performed with TORS is feasible, and whether it could improve the detection rates of primary tumours in patients diagnosed and classified as having SCCUP.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was retrospective and included 13 patients with SCCUP who were referred to TORS between October 2013 and January 2015. All 13 patients had previously undergone a full investigation programme following the national guidelines including whole-body PET/CT, examination in general anaesthesia, including random biopsies of the base of the tongue and bilateral palatine tonsillectomy without identification of the primary tumour.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The primary tumour was identified by TORS in seven of the 13 patients (54%) at the lingual tonsils. Human papillomavirus DNA and p16 were positive in all identified primary tumour specimens and in the corresponding lymph node metastases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery and Audiology.
authors.forename: Hani Ibrahim
authors.initials: HI
authors.lastname: Channir
authors.forename: Niclas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Rubek
authors.forename: Hans Ulrik
authors.initials: HU
authors.lastname: Nielsen
authors.forename: Katalin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kiss
authors.forename: Birgitte W
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Charabi
authors.forename: Christel B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Lajer
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: von Buchwald
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009055:Mouth; D057605:Natural Orifice Endoscopic Surgery / Q000379:methods*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009382:Neoplasms, Unknown Primary; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012371:Robotics / Q000379:methods*; D000077195:Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: SCCUP; TORS; human papillomavirus; p16