%0 Journal Article
%T Comparing national practice versus standard guidelines for the use of adjuvant treatment following robotic surgery for oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma.
%A Bates JE
%A Hitchcock KE
%A Mendenhall WM
%A Dziegielewski PT
%A Amdur RJ
%J Head Neck
%V 42
%N 9
%D 09 2020
%M 32476219
%F 3.821
%R 10.1002/hed.26311
%X Recent historical management of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma typically includes radiotherapy with/without chemotherapy. Novel surgical techniques such as robotic surgery have made primary surgery more frequent; however, postoperative radiotherapy may be recommended. We aimed to assess adherence to guidelines for postoperative therapy following robotic surgery.<BR>Using the National Cancer Database, we analyzed the frequency of radiotherapy following robotic surgery for cT1-3cN0-2cM0 squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx, specifically in the presence of widely accepted indications for postoperative radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy.<BR>Approximately two-thirds of patients received radiotherapy after robotic surgery for early-intermediate stage oropharyngeal cancer. One in five patients with an indication for adjuvant radiotherapy and 1/3 with an indication for adjuvant chemotherapy did not receive recommended adjuvant therapy.<BR>A high proportion of patients require radiotherapy after robotic surgery for early-intermediate stage oropharyngeal cancer. Patients with an indication for further adjuvant therapy commonly do not receive it.