SynthesisClinical otolaryngology : official journal of ENT-UK ; official journal of Netherlands Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology & Cervico-Facial Surgery2020
A systematic review on Transoral robotic surgery (TORS) for carcinoma of unknown primary origin: Has tongue base mucosectomy become indispensable?
Synthesis in Clinical otolaryngology : official journal of ENT-UK ; official journal of Netherlands Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology & Cervico-Facial Surgery, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
15 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 39 citations in OpenAlex.
- Occult squamous cell carcinoma presenting as oligometastatic lymphadenopathy. A systematic review with a case report.Oncology reviews · 2026Pooled it
- Impact of tongue base mucosectomy on quality-of-life outcomes: systematic review and single-centre experience.European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery · 2025Pooled it
- A systematic review on Transoral robotic surgery (TORS) for carcinoma of unknown primary origin: Has tongue base mucosectomy become indispensable?Clinical otolaryngology : official journal of ENT-UK ; official journal of Netherlands Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology & Cervico-Facial Surgery · 2020Pooled it
- Efficacy of Multimodal Work-Up of Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma Lymph Node Metastasis of Unknown Primary.Head & neck · 2026Article
- Bibliometric mapping of transoral robotic surgery literature (2005-2025): disciplinary maturation, global research architecture, and emerging knowledge domains.Journal of robotic surgery · 2026Review
- Management of HPV+ head and neck squamous cell carcinoma with unknown primary in the era of treatment de-escalation.Oral oncology · 2025Article
- The Effectiveness of Tonsillectomy in the Diagnostic Workup of Squamous Cell Carcinoma Unknown Primary in the Head and Neck Based on p16 Immunohistochemistry.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2024Article
- The Role of Trans Oral Robotic Surgery in the Carcinoma of Unknown Primary: A New Evidence in the Horizon?Indian journal of otolaryngology and head and neck surgery : official publication of the Association of Otolaryngologists of India · 2024Article
- Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Unknown Primary: A Diagnostic Work-Up.The oncologist · 2024Article
- Transoral Robotic Surgery for Head and Neck Cancer: Advances and Residual Knowledge Gaps.Journal of clinical medicine · 2023Review
- Intraoperative delineation of p16+ oropharyngeal carcinoma of unknown primary origin with fluorescence lifetime imaging: Preliminary report.Head & neck · 2022Article
- Human papillomavirus testing in metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the neck with unknown primary using PCR on fine-needle aspiration smears: a prospective clinical study.European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery · 2022Article
- Updates in the management of unknown primary of the head and neck.Frontiers in oncology · 2022Review
- Review
- Salvage surgery in head and neck cancer.Oral diseases · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
7 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundTransoral robotic surgery (TORS) is increasingly used in head and neck surgery and in carcinoma of unknown primary (CUP) origin specifically. Due to the rising incidence of human papillomavirus (HPV)-related oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC), there is a rationale for finding ways to de-escalate treatment strategies. This review aims to test the hypothesis that TORS is a meaningful adjunct in the diagnostic (and therapeutic) pathway in CUP in head and neck.
methodsA structured search of the literature was performed with the search terms 'TORS' and 'Carcinoma of Unknown Primary'.
resultsTwo hundred and seventy four cases of CUP in which TORS was used were identified for further analysis. Workup for CUP was comparable in all series with regard to physical examination, fine and/or gross needle examination of cervical nodes, fibre optic endoscopy, imaging and robot assisted mucosectomy of the base of tongue (BOT). Identification rate of the primary tumour was 72% on average (range 17%- 90%), and 55%- 96% were HPV positive. Clear margins were achieved in 60% (range 0%-85%) of resected occult tumours. Complication rate of TORS BOT mucosectomy was low with mainly grade I-III sequelae according to Clavien-Dindo.
conclusionsTransoral robotic surgery seems to be a useful and safe adjunct in the diagnostic and therapeutic pathway in case of CUP in an era of increasing incidence of HPV-positive OPSCC.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.