Laser interstitial thermal therapy in treatment of brain tumors--the NeuroBlate System

Treatment of brain tumors remains challenging. Cytoreductive surgery is used as the first line treatment for most brain tumors. However complete, curative, resection is not achievable in many tumors leading to the need for adjuvant chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT) is a minimally invasive cytoreductive treatment. A low voltage laser is used to induce hyperthermia and to kill tumor cells. The extent of thermal damage is controlled through use of real-time MR-thermography guidance. Initial results have shown the feasibility of LITT for a variety of brain pathologies. LITT can be considered as an alternative type of surgery for difficult to access brain tumors and also for tumors in patients who are deemed high risk for more traditional surgery. Randomized trials are currently planned to continue assessing the efficacy of LITT and long-term follow-up data are awaited.