any opinions on how MRI-guided laser ablation (e.g. Visualase) for brain tumors/mets will impact radiosurgery? Seems to be only a method used after radiosurgery failure, but clincial trial http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01736722 has inclusion criteria of only one failure of conventional therapy needed to move forward w/ intervention. Do you think neurosurgeons will resect then follow up with this intervention instead of referral to rad onc?
MRI-guided laser ablation for brain tumors
- Thread starter jcradonc
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Seems very interesting. However, they still have to drill a hole in the patient's skull and stick a probe into the tumor. Also, I'm sure that it requires significant expertise and training. I don't see much applicability beyond certain academic medical centers.
The SRS plans that can be generated with the latest linac technology (e.g. TrueBeamSTX, Versa HD) using VMAT and without a flattening filter are accurate, fast, and completely non-invasive. This makes it hard to justify doing an invasive procedure unless the patient is very symptomatic (in which case proper neurosurgery would be indicated) or has absolutely exhausted all other therapies (recurrence in eloquent area s/p SRS and/or WBRT). Visualase may have a role in the latter case.
The SRS plans that can be generated with the latest linac technology (e.g. TrueBeamSTX, Versa HD) using VMAT and without a flattening filter are accurate, fast, and completely non-invasive. This makes it hard to justify doing an invasive procedure unless the patient is very symptomatic (in which case proper neurosurgery would be indicated) or has absolutely exhausted all other therapies (recurrence in eloquent area s/p SRS and/or WBRT). Visualase may have a role in the latter case.
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