transoral robotic surgery in treating patients with benign or malignant tumors of the head and neck

Conditions: Recurrent Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma of the Oral Cavity; Recurrent Mucoepidermoid Carcinoma of the Oral Cavity; Recurrent Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Hypopharynx; Recurrent Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Larynx; Recurrent Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Lip and Oral Cavity; Recurrent Verrucous Carcinoma of the Larynx; Recurrent Verrucous Carcinoma of the Oral Cavity; Stage 0 Hypopharyngeal Cancer; Stage 0 Laryngeal Cancer; Stage 0 Lip and Oral Cavity Cancer; Stage I Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma of the Oral Cavity; Stage I Mucoepidermoid Carcinoma of the Oral Cavity; Stage I Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Hypopharynx; Stage I Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Larynx; Stage I Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Lip and Oral Cavity; Stage I Verrucous Carcinoma of the Larynx; Stage I Verrucous Carcinoma of the Oral Cavity; Stage II Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma of the Oral Cavity; Stage II Mucoepidermoid Carcinoma of the Oral Cavity; Stage II Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Hypopharynx; Stage II Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Larynx; Stage II Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Lip and Oral Cavity; Stage II Verrucous Carcinoma of the Larynx; Stage II Verrucous Carcinoma of the Oral Cavity; Stage III Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma of the Oral Cavity; Stage III Mucoepidermoid Carcinoma of the Oral Cavity; Stage III Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Hypopharynx; Stage III Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Larynx; Stage III Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Lip and Oral Cavity; Stage III Verrucous Carcinoma of the Larynx; Stage III Verrucous Carcinoma of the Oral Cavity; Stage IV Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Hypopharynx; Stage IVA Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma of the Oral Cavity; Stage IVA Mucoepidermoid Carcinoma of the Oral Cavity; Stage IVA Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Larynx; Stage IVA Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Lip and Oral Cavity; Stage IVA Verrucous Carcinoma of the Larynx; Stage IVA Verrucous Carcinoma of the Oral Cavity; Stage IVB Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma of the Oral Cavity; Stage IVB Mucoepidermoid Carcinoma of the Oral Cavity; Stage IVB Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Larynx; Stage IVB Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Lip and Oral Cavity; Stage IVB Verrucous Carcinoma of the Larynx; Stage IVB Verrucous Carcinoma of the Oral Cavity; Stage IVC Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma of the Oral Cavity; Stage IVC Mucoepidermoid Carcinoma of the Oral Cavity; Stage IVC Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Larynx; Stage IVC Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Lip and Oral Cavity; Stage IVC Verrucous Carcinoma of the Larynx; Stage IVC Verrucous Carcinoma of the Oral Cavity; Tongue Cancer

Summary: this pilot clinical trial studies transoral robotic surgery (tors) in treating patients with benign or malignant tumors of the head and neck. tors is a less invasive type of surgery for head and neck cancer and may have fewer side effects and improve recovery

to conduct a pilot single-arm study to assess transoral robotic surgery (tors) for oral and laryngopharyngeal benign and malignant lesions using the da vinci robotic surgical system.

Eligibility criteria:
inclusion criteria: * patient must present with indications for diagnostic or therapeutic approaches for benign and/or malignant diseases of the oral cavity or laryngopharynx (including the neoplastic lesions of the tongue, tongue base, retromolar trigone, tonsils, palate, posterior and lateral pharynx, glottic, supraglottic and subglottic larynx) * patients must have adequate transoral exposure of the oral cavity and laryngopharynx for tors instrumentation * written informed consent and/or consent waiver by institutional review board (irb) exclusion criteria: * unexplained fever and/or untreated, active infection * patient pregnancy * previous head and neck surgery that would preclude transoral/robotic procedures. this is at the investigator's discretion. this is not an exclusion criterion for the non-surgical arm. * the presence of medical conditions contraindicating general anesthesia or transoral surgical approaches * inability to grant informed consent * intraoperative exclusion criteria: * inability to adequately visualize anatomy to perform the diagnostic or therapeutic surgical approach transorally