Transoral laser microsurgery followed by radiation therapy for oropharyngeal tumors: the Mayo Clinic Arizona experience.

BACKGROUND The purpose of this study was to report the treatment outcomes of patients with advanced oropharyngeal cancer treated with transoral laser microsurgery (TLM) followed by radiation therapy (RT) at Mayo Clinic in Arizona. METHODS A retrospective study of 80 patients treated from January 1, 2000 to November 7, 2011 was performed. All patients had stage III/IV oropharyngeal tumors and underwent TLM with neck dissection. Adjuvant RT was then given. Thirty-seven patients received concurrent adjuvant chemotherapy. The primary outcome was locoregional control. RESULTS Median follow-up was 47.3 months (range, 9.7-139.2 months). The 3-year locoregional control, recurrence-free survival, and overall survival rates were 98.6% (95% confidence interval [CI], 91% to 100%), 91.1% (95% CI, 81% to 96%), and 93.7% (95% CI, 84% to 98%), respectively. There were a total of 5 treatment failures, 1 regional and 4 distant. Twenty-six patients underwent neck only RT with exclusion of the primary site. CONCLUSION TLM followed by RT for advanced oropharyngeal cancer results in excellent locoregional control rates.