TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital used robotic arms to treat a 46-year-old woman surnamed Huang (黃), who had a malignant salivary gland tumor — a rare throat cancer — successfully preserving her vocal cords.
Huang noticed a lump in her throat 18 months ago and was initially diagnosed at another clinic with a benign lymph node tumor. She sought further treatment at the hospital this year, though she experienced no symptoms aside from louder snoring, CNA.
Using an endoscopic examination, the hospital team discovered a 3 cm tumor in Huang’s throat. A biopsy confirmed it as advanced-stage throat cancer. The hospital said the tumor had spread to the surrounding throat tissue, which would typically require surgery to remove the voice box.
Fang Tuan-jen (方端仁), director of the hospital’s ear, nose, and throat (ENT) department, said the team first used robotic arms to separate the tumor from the tongue base and vocal cords. They then made a 4-cm cut in the neck to reach the blood vessels and cartilage around the area, allowing them to remove the tumor without affecting the vocal cords.
Huang returned to her regular speaking and eating two weeks after the surgery. Fang noted her case is the first in Taiwan in which a throat tumor was removed using robotic arms while preserving the vocal cords. The findings were published in the August issue of the Journal of Robotic Surgery.
The hospital has successfully performed more than 70 robotic surgeries for ENT conditions. However, Fang warned the procedure is not suitable if a tumor has spread beyond two-thirds of the larynx, or if the individual has breathing difficulties or a weakened heart and lung function.
Taiwan reports around 500 new cases of throat cancer annually, most of them involving men with smoking or drinking habits. Because early symptoms are subtle, many individuals are diagnosed at an advanced stage. Advanced cases are often treated with radiation or chemotherapy, and more than half of those affected require removal of the voice box.
