Monteris Medical, a company specialising in minimally invasive, image-guided laser ablation systems, has announced that the favourable results of its Laser ablation after stereotactic radiosurgery (LAASR) clinical study have been published in the Journal of Neurosurgery. A prospective, multicentre clinical study conducted by leading academic medical centres, LAASR confirmed the beneficial outcomes of laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT) in a group of 42 patients with brain lesions that recurred following stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) for metastatic brain tumours.
The LAASR clinical study enrolled patients with brain lesions that recurred following stereotactic radiosurgery for metastatic brain cancer. The recurring lesions—which ranged in size from 0.4cm3 to 38.6cm3—were ablated with the Monteris Medical NeuroBlate System. This patient population often has complex progressive medical issues and limited options, often leading to debilitating neurologic symptoms and deteriorating cognitive function causing progressive decline in their quality of life. The options for these patients, including open surgery and steroid drug therapy, may be limited and are often associated with high levels of morbidity.
The LAASR study results demonstrated that the potential benefits of LITT for this patient population include stabilising the quality of life and cognitive function of this challenging patient population. Additional benefits included reduced or eliminated steroid usage and short length of hospital stay. The study confirmed that LITT can be effective in controlling both recurrent brain metastases and radiation necrosis, as shown by the primary outcome results of the trial on progression-free survival (PFS) of 74% at last follow-up (12-26 weeks) and overall survival (OS) of 72% at 26 weeks. No unanticipated adverse events related to the device/procedure were seen. Neurological complications related to the LITT procedure were shown in 12% of the patients and included intracerebral haemorrhage, headache, and new or worsened neurological deficits such as motor weakness.
Veronica L Chiang, co-principal investigator, Department of Neurosurgery, Yale University, commented, “Given the side effect profile of alternative options for this patient population, the stabilisation in the Karnofsky Performance Scale, preservation of quality of life, and reduction in steroid usage all represent positive outcomes of the LAASR study.”
Furthermore, Manmeet Ahluwalia, co-principal investigator of the Cleveland Clinic’s Brain Tumor and Neuro-Oncology Center, added, “SRS is an effective first-line treatment for patients with metastatic brain cancer. However, for patients with recurrent disease that may not be appropriate for additional SRS or surgical resection, the LAASR study results indicate that LITT can be an effective option.”
Monteris is exclusively focused on advancing both LITT technology and clinical research to serve the unmet needs of neurosurgeons and their patients. The company’s NeuroBlate System is a minimally invasive, MRI-guided laser ablation tool for brain lesions, including brain tumours and epileptic foci. In addition to its recently published LAASR study, the Monteris commitment to high quality clinical data is continuing with its LAANTERN2 prospective, multicentre registry that has enrolled over 300 patients.
