Integrating Surgical Innovation, Functional Recovery, and Quality-of-life Metrics in Oropharyngeal Cancer: A Multidisciplinary Panel Discussion

Tuesday, October 20, 2026

8:45 AM - 9:45 AM PT

Location: 406B

Moderator(s)

SH

Sheng Po Hao, MD

Professor
Shin Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital
Taipei, Taipei, Taiwan (Republic of China)

Panelist(s)

F Christopher Holsinger, MD

Cheif of otolaryngology head and neck surgery
Stanford University School of Medicine
Stanford, California, United States
Laishyang(Melody) Ouyoung, EdD, CCC-SLP

Manager of Speech Pathology
Keck Medical Center of USC
Los Angeles, CA, United States
YT

Yao-Te James Tsai, MD

Cheif of otolaryngology head and neck surgery
CHiayi Chang Gung Memorial Hospital
Chiayi, Chiayi, Taiwan (Republic of China)

Disclosure(s):

Laishyang(Melody) Ouyoung, EdD, CCC-SLP:

faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Yao-Te James Tsai, MD:

faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

This 50–60-minute interactive panel features three expert presenters and a moderator from different subspecialties and healthcare systems, fostering cross-disciplinary dialogue and audience engagement. Chris Holsinger (Stanford University) will discuss robotic surgery for oropharyngeal cancer and its impact on patient-reported quality-of-life outcomes. Melody Ouyoung (University of Southern California) will address swallowing and speech function as key determinants of long-term OPC survivorship. Yao-Te Tsai (Chang Gung Memorial Hospital) will present life expectancy–adjusted QoL metrics, including LE, QALE, and SWPS, integrating survival and symptom burden. Professor Sheng Po Hao will moderate a discussion on multimodality integration to support patient-centered OPC care.

Learning Objectives:

Upon completion, participants will be able to describe how contemporary surgical innovations, particularly robotic surgery, influence patient-reported quality-of-life outcomes in oropharyngeal cancer.
Upon completion, participants will be able to recognize swallowing and speech function as critical determinants of long-term survivorship and functional recovery in oropharyngeal cancer.
Upon completion, participants will be able to explain how survival-weighted quality-of-life metrics, including LE, QALE, and SWPS, can be applied to integrate oncologic and functional outcomes.