TORS more effective for early stage throat cancers

New Delhi: Transoral robotic surgery (TORS) is "more effective" for throat cancers diagnosed in early stages, than radiation treatment, a doctor of a leading hospital in Delhi today claimed.

Fortis Memorial Research Institute (FMRI) has piloted a first of its kind study on patients suffering from early stage oropharyngeal carcinoma (cancer of the mouth, neck and throat).

The study was conducted on 57 patients, who have undergone TORS, under the leadership of Dr Surender Dabas, Director, Head, Neck and Thorax Surgical Oncology, FMRI.

"This novel and path-breaking surgical technique is instrumental in healing patients suffering from HPV negative cancers which are caused mostly due to tobacco consumption.

The study that got published in 'Oral Oncology' journal was conducted between March 2013 to October 2015 on these patients suffering from early stage (I & II) oropharyngeal carcinoma who underwent surgery conducted with the assistance of a surgical robot to remove a tumor from the mouth or throat, the FMRI said.

Out of these 57 patients, 48 were men and nine women.

"In comparison to HPV negative cancers HPV positive cancers are more responsive to chemotherapy and radiation treatment. In India majority (nearly 70 per cent) of all oropharyngeal cancers are HPV negative.

"This is the reason that TORS is a viable treatment option of HPV negative cancers. In order to avoid the side effects of undergoing a traditional open surgery, if the cancer has been caught at an early stage, TORS is adopted," Dabas said.

"For early stages, TORS is more effective than radiation treatment as per the study," he said, during a press conference.

"Posing significant benefits to the patients, it prevents functional impairments to speech and swallowing. It is a fast surgery and precise, intricate and intensive in its execution. The amount of blood loss and the recovery time required post the operation is remarkably minimal. As this method can be implemented without prior chemo therapy, it allows the patient to be free of any toxicity associated with the same" he added.

The incidence of oropharyngeal carcinoma is increasing in India. As per estimates, there were estimated 38,691 new cases of oropharyngeal cancers in India in 2012, the FMRI said.

As compared to the developed countries, where the increase in the incidence of oropharyngeal carcinoma is mainly attributed to the epidemic increase in the incidence of HPV infection, the leading cause of oropharyngeal carcinoma in India is exposure to tobacco and alcohol.