What´s new in PubMed this week
Tong JY, Amin N, Cruess C, Ludeman E, Moyer K, Wolf J, Taylor R, Molitoris JK, Ferris MJ, Mehra R, Hatten KM. Effect of Smoking in Oropharyngeal Cancer Treated With TORS: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Laryngoscope. 2026 May 8. doi: 10.1002/lary.70605. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 42103481.
A couple of years ago, after giving a lecture on oropharyngeal cancer in Vienna, I was asked about the role of smoking in HPV-positive OPSCC. My answer was simple: no role. There is still confusion created by the classic prognostic paper by Ang in the NEJM in 2010 that influenced the 8th edition of the TNM. However, HPV-positive oropharyngeal cancer is a completely different molecular disease from the traditional tobacco-related Head&Neck Cancers. Of course, from general medical reasoning, we might think that smokers will have worse general health and therefore worse overall survival. But that is very different from saying tobacco changes the biology or cancer-specific prognosis of HPV-positive OPSCC. In daily practice, when treating HPV-positive oropharyngeal cancer, smoking status should not significantly influence our attitude in this patients (most of them do not smoke). Here we have additional scientific support for this clinical impression.
Stultiens JJA, Du X, Waterval JJ, Pérez Fornos A, Guinand N, van de Berg R. A Hand-Guided Robotic Drill for Vestibular Implant Surgery-Feasibility of Preventing Membranous Labyrinth Rupture. J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2026 Jan-Dec;55:19160216261433549. doi: 10.1177/19160216261433549. Epub 2026 May 8. PMID: 42099194
A new study on robotic ear surgery.
Kirubalingam K, Siegel L, Zimmerman K, Parnes LS, Bajin MD, Agrawal SK. Evaluating the Safety and Efficacy of Robot-Assisted Cochlear Implant Electrode Array Insertion. J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2026 Jan-Dec;55:19160216261439716. doi: 10.1177/19160216261439716. Epub 2026 May 6. PMID: 42093235.
Another one.
Zamani R, Ohadi MAD, Pouremamali R, Gross N, Wong W, Chow M, Givi B. Transoral Robotic Surgery-Based Treatment Versus Definitive Chemoradiation for Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Head Neck. 2026 May 5. doi: 10.1002/hed.70308. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 42087273.
For years, many of us have defended a simple concept: whenever technically feasible, patients with HPV-positive oropharyngeal cancer should at least be offered a surgical approach instead of automatically receiving definitive chemoradiation (see again the three questions algorithm). Now another a large meta-analysis reinforces this position. This recent study including 6,767 patients (2,423 treated with TORS-based surgery and 4,344 with definitive RT/CRT) showed significantly better overall survival for the surgical group, together with less deterioration in swallowing-related quality of life. This is particularly important in HPV-positive disease, where patients are younger, survival is excellent, and long-term functional toxicity matters enormously. For decades, chemoradiation was promoted as the “organ preservation” strategy. But in HPV-positive OPSCC, many patients keep the organ anatomically while losing part of its long-term function: dysphagia, xerostomia, fibrosis, feeding tube dependence, hearing toxicity, and chronic swallowing impairment remain major issues after CRT. TORS changed the equation. A minimally invasive surgical approach allows pathological staging, individualized adjuvant treatment, and in selected patients even treatment de-escalation. Most importantly, it gives many patients the possibility of reducing the intensity of radiation, or avoiding chemotherapy altogether. This does not mean surgery is the answer for every patient. It clearly is not. But HPV-positive OPSCC should no longer be considered a disease automatically treated with chemoradiation. Patients need to at least hear both options (and there is clearly a better one for most of them).
Faoury M, Patel P. Robotic-Assisted Surgery in Skull-Base Procedures: Advances, Applications, and Emerging Innovations. Int Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2026 Apr 30;30(2):1-7. doi: 10.1055/s-0046-1818631. PMID: 42077938; PMCID: PMC13132628
A review on how we are moving forward in skull-base robotic surgery. See our next post on KUKA robots.
Sorenson TJ, Lisk R, Jacobson AB, Jacobson A, Levine JP. Hybrid Reconstruction in Head and Neck Surgery: Integration of Virtual Planning, Navigation, and Robotic Microsurgery. J Clin Med. 2026 Apr 14;15(8):2963. doi: 10.3390/jcm15082963. PMID: 42074767; PMCID: PMC13116782.
And another review, this on hybrid reconstruction in the Head&Neck, including robotic microsurgery.
J Granell. May 11, 2026.
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