Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39492633›Full record

Trial reportHead & neck2025

Impact of Transoral Robotic Surgery Versus Radiation on Swallowing Function in Oropharyngeal Cancer Patients: A Sub-Study From a Randomized Trial.

Julie A Theurer, Rosemary Martino, Nedeljko Jovanovic, John R de Almeida, David P Goldstein, Kevin Fung, John Yoo, S Danielle MacNeil, Eric Winquist, J Alex Hammond and 12 more

Abstract readRandomized Controlled TrialComparative Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Head & neck, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Review
  3. Observational
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

22 authors.

Julie A TheurerSchool of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.ORCID 0000-0001-9790-680X
Rosemary MartinoDepartment of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-3298-7714
Nedeljko JovanovicDepartment of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.ORCID 0000-0001-9419-6398
John R de AlmeidaDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
David P GoldsteinDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Kevin FungDepartment of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.
John YooDepartment of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.
S Danielle MacNeilDepartment of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.ORCID 0000-0001-6666-9055
Eric WinquistDepartment of Medical Oncology, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.
J Alex HammondDivison of Radiation Oncology, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.
Varagur VenkatesanDivison of Radiation Oncology, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.
Nancy ReadDivison of Radiation Oncology, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.
Sarah KuruvillaDepartment of Medical Oncology, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.
Andrew WarnerDivison of Radiation Oncology, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.
Philip C DoyleDepartment of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Division of Laryngology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA.
Ian RossDepartment of Radiology, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.
Colleen DreyerDepartment of Speech-Language Pathology, London Health Sciences Centre, London, Ontario, Canada.
Sarah HawkinsDepartment of Speech-Language Pathology, London Health Sciences Centre, London, Ontario, Canada.
Kendra ThoulessDepartment of Speech-Language Pathology, London Health Sciences Centre, London, Ontario, Canada.
Courtney McCallumHealth and Rehabilitation Sciences, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.
David A PalmaDivison of Radiation Oncology, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-9542-0627
Anthony C NicholsDepartment of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-0760-980X

Funding

Canadian Cancer Society Research Institute
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThis ORATOR sub-study evaluated swallowing physiology in patients treated with transoral robotic surgery (TORS) versus radiotherapy (RT) for early-stage oropharynx cancer.

methodsSwallowing physiology was evaluated using videofluoroscopy and outcomes were compared across treatment arms and correlated with MDADI scores.

resultsOf the 68 patients in the ORATOR trial, 21 participated in this sub-study (30.8%), including 15 RT Arm and six TORS Arm patients. Swallowing profiles were not significantly different between the arms. MBSImP pharyngeal scores for RT Arm versus TORS Arm patients were 4.8 (±2.1) versus 4.3 (±1.5) at baseline, 6.2 (±1.2) versus 9.6 (±4.8) at 6 months and 5.9 (±1.8) versus 8.0 (±4.7) at 12 months. MBSImP pharyngeal scores demonstrated weak associations with several MDADI subscales and PAS scores.

conclusionsTo best describe swallowing outcomes in studies of RT and/or surgery, instrumental swallowing assessments should be strongly considered in addition to quality of life measures.

Indexed as

DeglutitionDeglutition DisordersOropharyngeal NeoplasmsRobotic Surgical ProceduresAgedFemaleFluoroscopyHumansMaleMiddle AgedQuality of LifeTreatment OutcomeORATORoropharyngeal cancerradiotherapyswallowing physiologytransoral robotic surgery

Identifiers

PMID39492633
PMCPMC11816559

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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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.