Monteris Medical announced today that data supports the use of its laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT) in treating brain tumors.
A paper on LITT for patients with IDH wild-type glioblastoma — the most common and aggressive tumor originating in the brain — was published in the journal Neuro-Oncology Advances.
Minnetonka, Minnesota-based Monteris said in a news release that data on 89 patients collected through the Laantern prospective, multi-center registry, demonstrated that LITT offers an effective alternative to traditional surgery for patients with newly diagnosed and recurrent glioblastoma while also delivering the benefits of a minimally invasive surgical procedure, including short recovery time and the reduced potential for side effects.
The paper showed that, in newly diagnosed patients treated with LITT followed by standard of care chemotherapy and radiation, overall survival (16.14 months) and progression-free survival (11.93 months) are comparable to published outcomes where traditional surgery was used.
For patients with recurrent disease, no standard of care is currently established, but the study demonstrated median post-LITT survival of nearly nine months, compared to a range of 5-13 months observed with traditional surgery. Monteris also said the functional status of patients stabilized or improved at the one-month mark after LITT.
The paper’s lead author, Division Chief of Neuro-Oncology at the University of California San Francisco Weill Institute for Neurosciences Dr. John de Groot said that LITT represents “a critical tool for achieving maximal safe cytoreduction of the tumor,” particularly in the glioblastoma patient population which has limited treatment options.
de Groot also noted that the minimally invasive nature of LITT, the short recovery time and favorable side effect profile make it a safe and effective option.
“Congratulations to the Laantern physicians and their research teams on the publication of this essential study on LITT and primary brain tumors,” Monteris President and CEO Martin J. Emerson said. “We are so grateful to the patients that gave their time and energy to participate in this study. The collective body of evidence that continues to emerge in support of laser ablation has firmly established LITT’s position in the care continuum for appropriate brain tumor and epilepsy patients.”