Chapters Transcript Video Laser Interstitial Thermal Therapy (LITT) for Treating Brain Tumors Dr. Toral R. Patel discusses how laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT) can be used as a treatment for certain types of brain tumors. Laser interstitial thermal therapy, or lit is an innovative procedure that allows us to place a laser into deep-seated brain tumors that may not be surgically accessible via traditional routes and treat those tumors. A laser probe is placed into a deep-seated brain tumor and then the patient is taken to an MRI unit. In the MRI, using real-time thermometry guidance, a neurosurgeon sees exactly what portion of the tumor is being heated up and what portion of the. Surrounding brain is being affected or not. And because you have a view at both the tumor and the normal brain, you can really thread a tight margin such that you're affecting only the tumor and sparing normal structures, thereby minimizing neurologic risk. UT Southwestern has the largest brain tumor volume in North Texas, and we take pride in our ability to provide high quality care and scalable care. When a patient comes here, by and large, we have seen something like that before, treated a disease like that before, and we rely on that wealth of experience to achieve good outcomes moving forward. Laser interstitial thermal therapy really took off about 15 years ago and is concentrated primarily in academic medical centers, and that's because the programs and the technology needed to make lit successful are intensive. You need an intraoperative MRI you need MRI technicians that are familiar with the technology, and then you need robotic systems and navigation systems to help place these laser probes safely. Surgery plays an important role in the management of brain tumors, but it's not the only modality or treatment that's available. Laser interstitial thermal therapy helps us to reduce the burden of tumor cells in your brain, but as part of a global comprehensive approach of treating your tumor with surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation, all of which are important as part of a multidisciplinary approach and all available here at UT Southwestern. Created by
