Transoral Robotic Surgery and De-escalation of Cancer Treatment

This article outlines the ways that transoral robotic surgery and transoral laser microsurgery relate to treatment de-escalation in the treatment of head and neck cancer. Treatment de-escalation has particular importance in context of human papillomavirus–related oropharynx squamous cell carcinoma, which responds well to therapy but leaves many survivors with decades of treatment-related sequelae. We compare these less invasive transoral approaches with previously used open approaches to the oropharynx. We discuss the topic of treatment de-escalation in human papillomavirus–related disease and outline completed and ongoing clinical trials investigating the choice of primary treatment modality and de-escalation of adjuvant therapy.