858 Transoral Robotic Surgery: Comparing the Geography of Research Publications with The Global Burden of Disease

Abstract

Abstract Introduction Transoral robotic surgery (TORS) is increasingly used for the resection of oropharyngeal tumours. It is unclear if there is equitable access to this innovative technique worldwide, specifically in areas of greatest need. This study aimed to map the geographic distribution of publications on TORS and compare this to global disease burden. Method Systematic searches identified all studies of TORS from inception to 2018. The country of origin of each study was identified. The incidence and age standardised rate (ASR) of oropharyngeal cancer for each country was obtained from The Global Cancer Observatory (GLOBOCAN) database. World Bank classifications of countries by income level were obtained. Results A total of 132 studies were identified. The majority (96%) were published in high-income countries, 2% in lower-middle, and 2% in upper-middle income countries. Eighty-nine were published in the USA, the country with the second-highest incidence of oropharyngeal cancer worldwide (13% of total), but 20th by ASR. The greatest incidence was in India (21%), however this was the source of only 2% of studies. Of the ten countries with the highest incidence, eight were represented in published studies, in comparison to four of the top 10 by ASR. Conclusions There is evident disparity in the geographical distribution of published studies of TORS. This disparity may represent unequal access to surgical technologies, or a lack of evaluation of the technology in different healthcare settings. This may impact the generalisability of research findings. Equitable access to novel surgical technologies is ethical and can help address global disease burden.