IMPORTANCE Treatment of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) presents unique challenges and can be associated with significant morbidity. Transoral robotic surgery (TORS) has emerged as a treatment modality for OPSCC, but data comparing outcomes between patients treated with TORS-based therapy and nonsurgical therapy are limited. OBJECTIVE To compare survival and gastrostomy prevalence between patients with OPSCC treated with TORS-based therapy and those treated with nonsurgical therapy. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This retrospective matched-cohort study identified patients with OPSCC treated at the University of Washington and University of Minnesota tertiary care medical centers from January 1, 2005, to December 31, 2013. Each patient treated with TORS-based therapy was matched by stage with as many as 3 patients treated with nonsurgical therapy. Final follow-up was completed on April 1, 2015. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Disease-free survival, overall survival, and gastrostomy tube prevalence. RESULTS One hundred twenty-seven patients met the study criteria (113 men [89.0%];14 women [11.0%]; median [interquartile range] age, 57 [52–63] years); 39 patients who underwent TORS were matched to 88 patients who underwent nonsurgical therapy. Compared with the nonsurgical group, more patients had p16-positive tumors in the TORS group (30 of 31 [96.8%] vs 30 of 37 [81.1%] among patients with known p16 status). No statistically significant difference in survival between treatment groups was found in multivariable analysis (disease-free survival hazard ratio, 0.22; 95% CI, 0.04–1.36; P = .10). Patients who received TORS-based therapy had lower gastrostomy tube prevalence after treatment (13 of 39 [33.3%] vs 74 of 88 [84.1%]) for a univariable relative risk of 0.43 (95% CI, 0.27–0.67; P < .001) and a multivariable relative risk of 0.43 (95% CI, 0.27–0.68; P < .001). Gastrostomy prevalence decreased by time after treatment for both groups (TORS group:3 of 34 [9%] at 3 months to 1 of 33 [3%] at 12 months; nonsurgical group: 37 of 82 [45%] at3 months to 7 of 66 [11%] at 12 months). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Patients undergoing TORS for OPSCC have statistically indistinguishable survival but lower gastrostomy prevalence compared with patients undergoing nonsurgical therapy for stage-matched OPSCC. TORS offers promise for improved swallowing function in patients with OPSCC.

Background: Free tissue reconstruction has become the standard of care for most major defects in the head and neck. Surgical site infection (SSI) can lead to vessel thrombosis and eventual flap loss. The use of antibiotics after free tissue reconstruction has not been studied in the current environment of heightened bacterial antibiotic resistance. We compared the use of short-term and longer-term antibiotics in a series of patients receiving free tissue reconstructions. Methods: A retrospective review was performed of 147 patients receiving 149 free flaps who were treated with either short-course (£2 d; n = 149 [43%]) or long-course (>2 d; n = 85 [57%])) post-operative antibiotics from 2009 to 2014. The outcomes examined were infection, return to the operating room, length of hospital stay, and patient death up to six weeks post-surgery. In addition, risk factors associated with SSI were explored. Results: Surgical site infection, flap dehiscence, flap loss, and length of stay were not different in the two groups. However, those receiving long-course antibiotics had a significantly higher rate of pneumonia (24.7% vs. 10.9%; p = 0.03), although they had a lower rate of urinary tract infection (0.0% vs 9.4%, respectively; p = 0.01). Body mass index remained a statistically significant risk factor in the multivariable analysis (p = 0.005). Conclusion: Prolonged antibiotic use after free flap reconstruction of head and neck defects does not appear to prevent SSI better than short-course treatment in this population. Moreover, long-course antibiotic use was associated with a higher risk of pneumonia.

Poster Presentations P153 POSTERSexposure, radiologic findings of calcification and increased vascularity, age, and gender.Results: A total of 378 cases were eligible for review. Of these, one-third met inclusion criteria. Cytology characterized as malignant or benign were found to have high concordance with surgical pathology findings. The diagnosis atypia of undetermined significance (AUS) and its malignancy risk were observed 2 to 3 times higher than that prescribed by the Bethesda guidelines. The majority of cases with cytologic features of follicular neoplasm were found to be benign. However, a significant number of incidental cases of papillary microcarcinoma were observed within this group. Papillary thyroid carcinoma was identified in 60% of cases with features suspicious for malignancy. Conclusion:While benign and malignant cytologies are highly predictive, there exists wide variation in the interpretation of uncertain categories. Malignancy risk associated with AUS ranges from 6% to 28% in the literature. These results suggest that trends developed from institution-specific data may be more predictive in guiding post-FNA management. Method: ELISA will be used to measure IL-6 release from MSK-Leuk1 treated with varying concentrations of CRP and pioglitazone. ELISA will be used to measure CRP in oral rinses of control patients. Two-sided t test and ANOVA are used for analysis of results with significance level of 5%. Head and Neck SurgeryResults: When treated with CRP (0.001-10 ug/mL), MSKLeuk1 cells increased IL-6 release in a dose-dependent manner (P < .05). When treated with CRP (0.01-10 ug/mL) and with pioglitazone (10 uM) MSK-Leuk1 cells released a statistically significantly decrease in IL-6 as compared to CRP treatment (P < .05) Oral rinses were easily collected and CRP was measured by ELISA to establish controls for an ongoing study of pioglitazone treatment of leukoplakia and CRP as an affective inflammatory marker. Conclusion:CRP is now shown to play an active roll in increasing the inflammatory cascade in leukoplakia cells, and pioglitazone attenuates this stimulation as measured by IL-6. The next step is to test CRP in already collected oral rinses of leukoplakia patients before and after treatment with pioglitazone. Objective: To analyze the dental health of head and neck cancer patients who received comprehensive dental care before and after radiation. Head and Neck SurgeryMethod: Retrospective study of 282 head and neck cancer patients at a single VA hospital who were treated with radiation between 2000 and 2010 were identified. All patients received conventional radiation therapy (RT) or intensitymodulated radiation therapy (IMRT).Results: A complete dental evaluation was performed prior to radiation treatment, including periodontal probing, tooth profile, cavity check, and mobility. The treatment plan was formulated to eliminate current and potential dental disease, as well as prepare for future dental rehabilitation. The rates of dental extractions, infections, and caries were analyzed ...