Transoral robotic surgery for salivary carcinomas of the base of tongue: a multicenter REFCOR study

Valentine Poissonnet¹, Emilien Chabrillac², Bertille Segier³, Philippe Gorphe⁴, Stéphanie Wong⁵, Renaud Garrel⁶, Christophe Ferron⁷, Rachid Kaci⁸, Erwan de Monès⁹, Franck Jegoux¹⁰, Philippe Schultz¹¹, Dorian Culié¹², Robin Baudouin¹³, Diane Evrard¹⁴, Maxime Goffinet¹⁵, Sylvain Morinière¹⁶, Haitham Mirghani¹⁷, Christian Righini¹⁸, Suzy Duflo¹⁹, Jean Paul Marie²⁰, Bruno Guelfucci²¹, Sarah Atallah²², Esteban Brenet²³, Chloé Bertolus²⁴, Philippe Ceruse²⁵, Karine Aubry²⁶, Xavier Dufour²⁷, Patrice Gallet²⁸, Vianney Bastit²⁹, Emmanuelle Uro-Coste³⁰, Sébastien Vergez²

Affiliations

¹ Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery Department, University Cancer Institute Toulouse and Toulouse University Hospital, Larrey Hospital, 24 Chemin de Pouvourville, 31059, Cedex 9, Toulouse, France. valentine.poissonnet@gmail.com.
² Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery Department, University Cancer Institute Toulouse and Toulouse University Hospital, Larrey Hospital, 24 Chemin de Pouvourville, 31059, Cedex 9, Toulouse, France.
³ Statistical Department, Institut Claudius Régaud, University Institute of Cancer, 1 Avenue Irène Joliot-Curie, 31100, Toulouse, France.
⁴ Head and Neck Oncology Department, Gustave-Roussy Institute, 114 Rue Edouard Vaillant, 94800, Villejuif, France.
⁵ Department of Radiation Therapy, AP-HM, Aix-Marseille University, 264 Rue Saint Pierre, 13385, Marseille, France.
⁶ Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery Department, University Hospital of Montpellier, 191 Avenue du Doyen Gaston Giraud, 34295, Montpellier, France.
⁷ Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery Department, University Hospital of Nantes, 5 Allée de l'Ile Gloriette, 44000, Nantes, France.
⁸ Pathology Department, AP-HP, Hôpital Lariboisière, 2 Rue Ambroise Paré, 75010, Paris, France.
⁹ Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Bordeaux University Hospital-CHU, F-33000 Bordeaux, Place Amélie Raba Léon, 33000, Bordeaux, France.
¹⁰ Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery Department, University Hospital of Rennes, 2 Rue Henri le Guilloux 35000, Rennes, France.
¹¹ Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery Department, University Hospital of Strasbourg, 1 Place de l'Hôpital, 67000, Strasbourg, France.
¹² Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery Department, Head and Neck University Institute, 31 Avenue de Valombrose, 06100, Nice, France.
¹³ Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery Department, Foch Hospital, 40 Rue Worth, 92150, Suresnes, France.
¹⁴ Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery Department, Bichat Hospital, 46 Rue Henri Huchard, 75018, Paris, France.
¹⁵ Head and Neck Surgery Department, CHU Sart Tilman, University Liege, 1 Avenue de l'Hôpital, 4000, Luik, Belgium.
¹⁶ Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery Department, University Hospital of Tours, 2 Boulevard Tonnellé, 37000, Tours, France.
¹⁷ Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery Department, George Pompidou European Hospital, 20 Rue Leblanc, 75015, Paris, France.
¹⁸ Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery Department, University Hospital of Grenoble, Avenue des Maquis du Grésivaudan, 38700, La Tronche, France.
¹⁹ Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery Department, University Hospital of Point-à-Pitre, Route de Chauvel, Les Abymes, 97142, Guadeloupe, France.
²⁰ Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery Department, University Hospital of Rouen, 37 Boulevard Gambetta, 76000, Rouen, France.
²¹ Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery Department, Hospital of Toulon, 54 Rue Henri Sainte-Claire Deville, 83100, Toulon, France.
²² Head and Neck Surgery Department, Tenon Hospital, APHP, Sorbonne University, 4 Rue de la Chine, 75020, Paris, France.
²³ Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery Department, University Hospital of Reims, Rue du Général Koenig, 51100, Reims, France.
²⁴ Department of Oral and Maxillo-Facial Surgery, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, APHP, Sorbonne Université, 47-83 Boulevard de l'Hôpital, 75013, Paris, France.
²⁵ Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery Department, University Hospital of Lyon, 165 Chemin du Grand Revoyet, 69310, Pierre-Benite, France.
²⁶ Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery Department, University Hospital of Limoges, 2 Avenue Martin Luther King, 87000, Limoges, France.
²⁷ Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery Department, University Hospital of Poitiers, 2 Rue de la Milétrie, 86000, Poitiers, France.
²⁸ Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery Department, University Hospital of Nancy, 20 Avenue du Maréchal de Lattre de Tassigny, 54000, Nancy, France.
²⁹ Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery Department, University Hospital of Caen, Avenue de la Côte de Nacre CS 30001, 14000, Caen, France.
³⁰ Department of Anatomical Pathology, University Cancer Institute Toulouse, 1 avenue Irène Joliot-Curie, 31100, Toulouse, France.

PMID: 40234274
DOI: 10.1007/s11701-025-02332-2

Multicenter Study

Transoral robotic surgery for salivary carcinomas of the base of tongue: a multicenter REFCOR study

Valentine Poissonnet et al. J Robot Surg. 2025.

. 2025 Apr 15;19(1):161.

doi: 10.1007/s11701-025-02332-2.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery Department, University Cancer Institute Toulouse and Toulouse University Hospital, Larrey Hospital, 24 Chemin de Pouvourville, 31059, Cedex 9, Toulouse, France. valentine.poissonnet@gmail.com.
² Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery Department, University Cancer Institute Toulouse and Toulouse University Hospital, Larrey Hospital, 24 Chemin de Pouvourville, 31059, Cedex 9, Toulouse, France.
³ Statistical Department, Institut Claudius Régaud, University Institute of Cancer, 1 Avenue Irène Joliot-Curie, 31100, Toulouse, France.
⁴ Head and Neck Oncology Department, Gustave-Roussy Institute, 114 Rue Edouard Vaillant, 94800, Villejuif, France.
⁵ Department of Radiation Therapy, AP-HM, Aix-Marseille University, 264 Rue Saint Pierre, 13385, Marseille, France.
⁶ Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery Department, University Hospital of Montpellier, 191 Avenue du Doyen Gaston Giraud, 34295, Montpellier, France.
⁷ Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery Department, University Hospital of Nantes, 5 Allée de l'Ile Gloriette, 44000, Nantes, France.
⁸ Pathology Department, AP-HP, Hôpital Lariboisière, 2 Rue Ambroise Paré, 75010, Paris, France.
⁹ Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Bordeaux University Hospital-CHU, F-33000 Bordeaux, Place Amélie Raba Léon, 33000, Bordeaux, France.
¹⁰ Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery Department, University Hospital of Rennes, 2 Rue Henri le Guilloux 35000, Rennes, France.
¹¹ Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery Department, University Hospital of Strasbourg, 1 Place de l'Hôpital, 67000, Strasbourg, France.
¹² Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery Department, Head and Neck University Institute, 31 Avenue de Valombrose, 06100, Nice, France.
¹³ Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery Department, Foch Hospital, 40 Rue Worth, 92150, Suresnes, France.
¹⁴ Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery Department, Bichat Hospital, 46 Rue Henri Huchard, 75018, Paris, France.
¹⁵ Head and Neck Surgery Department, CHU Sart Tilman, University Liege, 1 Avenue de l'Hôpital, 4000, Luik, Belgium.
¹⁶ Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery Department, University Hospital of Tours, 2 Boulevard Tonnellé, 37000, Tours, France.
¹⁷ Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery Department, George Pompidou European Hospital, 20 Rue Leblanc, 75015, Paris, France.
¹⁸ Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery Department, University Hospital of Grenoble, Avenue des Maquis du Grésivaudan, 38700, La Tronche, France.
¹⁹ Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery Department, University Hospital of Point-à-Pitre, Route de Chauvel, Les Abymes, 97142, Guadeloupe, France.
²⁰ Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery Department, University Hospital of Rouen, 37 Boulevard Gambetta, 76000, Rouen, France.
²¹ Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery Department, Hospital of Toulon, 54 Rue Henri Sainte-Claire Deville, 83100, Toulon, France.
²² Head and Neck Surgery Department, Tenon Hospital, APHP, Sorbonne University, 4 Rue de la Chine, 75020, Paris, France.
²³ Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery Department, University Hospital of Reims, Rue du Général Koenig, 51100, Reims, France.
²⁴ Department of Oral and Maxillo-Facial Surgery, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, APHP, Sorbonne Université, 47-83 Boulevard de l'Hôpital, 75013, Paris, France.
²⁵ Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery Department, University Hospital of Lyon, 165 Chemin du Grand Revoyet, 69310, Pierre-Benite, France.
²⁶ Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery Department, University Hospital of Limoges, 2 Avenue Martin Luther King, 87000, Limoges, France.
²⁷ Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery Department, University Hospital of Poitiers, 2 Rue de la Milétrie, 86000, Poitiers, France.
²⁸ Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery Department, University Hospital of Nancy, 20 Avenue du Maréchal de Lattre de Tassigny, 54000, Nancy, France.
²⁹ Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery Department, University Hospital of Caen, Avenue de la Côte de Nacre CS 30001, 14000, Caen, France.
³⁰ Department of Anatomical Pathology, University Cancer Institute Toulouse, 1 avenue Irène Joliot-Curie, 31100, Toulouse, France.

PMID: 40234274
DOI: 10.1007/s11701-025-02332-2

Abstract

Transoral robotic surgery (TORS) allows minimally invasive surgical access to the oropharynx. Its benefits are well documented for squamous cell carcinomas, but not for salivary carcinomas. The aim of this study was to describe the French experience of TORS regarding salivary gland carcinomas of the base of tongue (BOT). This was a retrospective multicentric study with a national cohort. We included all patients treated surgically for a BOT salivary gland carcinoma from January 2009 to December 2018. Descriptive analyses were performed. Among the 50 patients included, radical excision was performed through an open approach (OA; n = 33) or using TORS (n = 17). T1-T2 tumors were more common in the TORS-group (76.4% vs 60.6%), and so were low-grade tumors (58.8% vs 38.7%). Surgical margins were <1mm in 46.7% of patients in the TORS-group and 52% of patients in the OA-group. After 51.7 months of follow-up, two patients (11.8%) presented with a local recurrence in the TORS-group, versus eight patients (24.2%) in the OA-group. The rate of tracheostomy was 41.2% in the TORS-group and 63.6% in the OA-group. The rate of gastrostomy was 11.8% in the TORS-group and 36.4% in the OA-group. TORS is an acceptable minimally invasive option for selected BOT salivary carcinomas. It may provide good functional and oncological outcomes in selected cases, despite a high rate of close margins.

Keywords: Carcinoma; Glossectomy; Salivary gland neoplasms; Tongue; Transoral robotic surgery.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Competing interest: The authors have no relevant financial or non-financial interests to disclose. Ethical approval: All the clinical data needed for the study were recorded in an anonymized computerized database after approval by the local research committee under the reference number RnIPH 2023-11. This study was performed in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki. Patient consent: Informed consent was obtained for each patient at the start of his or her care, when he or she was included in the REFCOR database.

Comment in

Comment on: "Transoral robotic surgery for salivary carcinomas of the base of tongue: a multicenter REFCOR study".
Mehta R, Sah R. Mehta R, et al. J Robot Surg. 2025 Apr 27;19(1):178. doi: 10.1007/s11701-025-02365-7. J Robot Surg. 2025. PMID: 40287865 No abstract available.

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Transoral robotic surgery for salivary carcinomas of the base of tongue: a multicenter REFCOR study

Affiliations

Transoral robotic surgery for salivary carcinomas of the base of tongue: a multicenter REFCOR study

Authors

Affiliations

Abstract

Conflict of interest statement

Comment in

References

Publication types

MeSH terms

LinkOut - more resources

Full Text Sources

Medical