Neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by transoral robotic surgery versus upfront surgery for locoregionally advanced oropharyngeal carcinoma: A propensity score matched analysis

Background Transoral robotic surgery (TORS) performed after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) is a promising treatment for advanced‐stage oropharyngeal carcinoma (OPSCC) able to reduce the adjuvant therapy administration rate. Methods A retrospective bi‐centric study was conducted to analyze NAC + TORS versus upfront TORS patients. A 1:1 propensity score matching was used to compare the two groups. Results Among the 300 patients with stage III‐IV OPSCC, 204 patients were matched for comparing NAC + TORS versus upfront TORS. Between the two groups, no significant difference was observed in recurrences and in survival for RFS, OS, and DSS. In the NAC + TORS p16‐positive population, adjuvant therapy could be spared in 51% versus 16% in the upfront surgery cohort (p