TORS offers a significant opportunity to impact positively on patient QOL and post-treatment function whilst retaining satisfactory oncologic control. Preliminary data relating to local control, disease-specific survival, and overall survival using upfront TORS are encouraging, with overall survival rates at 1 year exceeding 90%, and at 2 years exceeding 80%. Local failure rates for TORS are reported to be between 0% and 3%, with Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical median follow-up rates ranging from 18

months to 2 years.20,61,63 Regional recurrence rates varied between 2% and 8%,20,61,63 while distant disease was reported in 1%–9%.20,61–63 Patients receiving TORS alone report better health-related quality of life (QOL) compared to individuals receiving TORS and adjuvant radiation or chemoradiation. Although Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical initial feasibility and case series reports are encouraging, further validation through well-designed randomized control trials is required prior to widespread shifts in accepted treatment paradigms. Acknowledgments This research was supported by the Legacy Heritage Biomedical Science Partnership Program of the Israel Science Foundation (No. 1680/08), the Israel Cancer Association (grant donated by Ellen and Emanuel Kronitz in memory of Dr Leon Kronitz; No. 20090068), the Israeli Ministry

of Health (No. 3-7355), the ICRF Barbara S. Goodman endowed research career development award (2011-601-BGPC), and a grant from the US–Israel Binational Science Foundation Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical (No. 2007312) to Z.G. Abbreviations: CRT chemotherapy and radiation therapy FDA Food and Drug Administration EGFR epidermal growth factor receptor FOIS Functional Oral Intake Score HNSCC head and neck squamous cell carcinoma HNCI Head And Neck Cancer Inventory HPV human papillomavirus IMRT intensity-modulated radiotherapy OPSCC oropharyngeal Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical squamous cell carcinoma PEG tube

percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube QOL quality of life RT radiation therapy RTOG Radiation Therapy Oncology Group SCC squamous cell carcinoma TORS transoral robotic surgery.
learn more Evaluation is typically pursued for patients with thyroid nodules larger than 1 cm, as well as in patients who may have smaller nodules but carry a family history of thyroid cancer, a personal almost history of head or neck radiation, or who present with concerning features on imaging. Additionally, all nodules which are found incidentally to be positive during PET imaging should be further evaluated as these nodules are reported to carry a 30% risk of malignancy.4 Many professional organizations (e.g. National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN); American Thyroid Association (ATA); American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE)) have published guidelines for the evaluation of thyroid nodules. These guidelines can be summarized to include the following: sound clinical assessment, ultrasound evaluation, TSH level, and biopsy/cytologic evaluation (if indicated based on the size and imaging characteristics) to assess for malignancy.