Treatment Strategies for Oral Cavity and Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Systematic Review of Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy and Transoral Robotic Surgery

Sep 30, 2026

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Oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OCSCC) and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) remain major global health burdens, with conventional approaches often causing substantial morbidity. This systematic review synthesizes evidence on neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) for OCSCC and transoral robotic surgery (TORS) for OPSCC, aiming to improve personalization of care and functional outcomes. Following PRISMA, searches across major databases were performed and risk of bias was assessed. Evaluations included oncologic endpoints (overall survival, disease-free survival, recurrence, margin status) and functional measures (swallowing, speech, quality of life such as MD Anderson Dysphagia Inventory). Safety outcomes covered toxicities, complications, and feeding-tube or tracheostomy requirements. Findings integrate clinical utility while considering study quality and methodological limitations.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages4

Reading Time10 min

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Abstract

Introduction

Materials and Methods

Risk of bias assessment

Discussion

Conclusion

Systematic Review Treatment Strategies for Oral Cavity and Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Systematic Review of Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy and Transoral Robotic Surgery R. Manthru Naik1, Naveen Mynam2, Priyanka Barman3, E. G. Srichakra4, Parthiban Saket5, Tanmay Mandal3, Nandisha Thakkar6 1Department of Dentistry, Government Medical College, Suryapet, Telangana, India, 2Department of Dentistry, Government Medical College, Sangareddy, Telangana, India, 3Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Evergreen Superspeciality Clinic, Kolkata, West Bengal, India, 4Department of Dentistry, Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India, 5Department of Periodontics, Sri Venkateswaraa Dental College, Villianur, Pondicherry, India, 6Department of Oral Pathology and Microbiology, Surendera Dental College, Ganganagar, Rajasthan, India Submitted: 31‑Jul‑2025 Revised: 07‑Aug‑2025 Accepted: 13‑Aug‑2025 Published: 17‑Dec‑2025 Abstract Oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OCSCC) and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) continue to pose major global health burdens, with conventional treatment modalities frequently associated with considerable morbidity. Emerging strategies such as neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) for OCSCC and transoral robotic surgery (TORS) for OPSCC have been introduced to enhance personalization of care and preserve functional outcomes. This systematic review summarizes current evidence on the efficacy, safety and functional results of these modalities. Following PRISMA guidelines, a comprehensive search of major databases was conducted, and risk of bias was assessed for all eligible studies. The included literature evaluated key oncologic parameters such as overall survival, disease‑free survival, recurrence rates and margin status, alongside patient‑reported and clinician‑reported functional measures including swallowing ability, speech outcomes and quality of life indices such as MD Anderson Dysphagia Inventory scores. Safety outcomes such as treatment‑related toxicities, complication rates, and requirements for feeding tubes or tracheostomy were also analyzed. The review provides an integrated appraisal of the clinical utility of NACT in OCSCC and TORS in OPSCC, emphasizing their potential to improve oncologic control while minimizing functional impairment, while also addressing the influence of study quality and methodological limitations on the strength of the available evidence. Keywords: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy, oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma, transoral robotic surgery Introduction Oral cavity squamous cell and oropharyngeal carcinoma (OCSCC) squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) represent significant global health burdens, accounting for a substantial proportion of head and neck malignancies. [1] While both share a common histological origin, they exhibit distinct etiological profiles, particularly the strong association of human papillomavirus (HPV) | Access this article online | | | --- | --- | | Quick Response Code:
| Website: [https://journals.lww.com/jpbs](https://journals.lww.com/jpbs) | | | DOI: 10.4103/jpbs.jpbs_1320_25 | with a subset of OPSCC, which profoundly influences their natural history and treatment responsiveness. [2‑4] Historically, the management | Address for correspondence: Dr. R. Manthru Naik, Department of Dentistry, Government Medical College, Suryapet,
Telangana, India. E‑mail: [rmanthrunaik@gmail.com](rmanthrunaik@gmail.com) | | --- | | This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License (CC BY-NC-ND), where it is permissible to download and share the work provided it is properly cited. The work cannot be changed in any way or used commercially without permission from the journal.
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FAQs

What treatments does this systematic review evaluate for OCSCC and OPSCC?

It evaluates neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) for oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OCSCC) and transoral robotic surgery (TORS) for oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC).

Which outcomes are used to assess efficacy in the included studies?

Efficacy is assessed using oncologic endpoints such as overall survival, disease-free survival, recurrence rates, and margin status, along with patient- and clinician-reported functional measures like swallowing ability, speech outcomes, and quality of life scores (e.g., MD Anderson Dysphagia Inventory).

How is safety evaluated in this review?

Safety outcomes include treatment-related toxicities, complication rates, and requirements for feeding tubes or tracheostomy.

Sep 30, 2026

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