Abstract INTRODUCTION Metastases associated with the primary motor cortex (PMC) are associated with significant debility. Laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT) could proffer less invasive treatment if the risk of thermal damage to corticospinal tracts is mitigated. We accordingly assessed functional outcomes of LITT relative to with open resection with motor mapping (OR) over time. METHODS A single-center retrospective review of patients receiving OR or LITT to PMC metastases from 2014 – 2024 was performed in …

Abstract Immunotherapies remain largely ineffective against intracranial malignancies such as glioblastoma (GBM), in part due to profound systemic and local immune dysfunction. Hallmarks of systemic immune dysfunction include bone marrow T cell sequestration, T cell dysfunction, lymphoid organ atrophy, and lymphopenia. We report that intracranial tumors, unlike their extracranial counterparts, induce chronic sympathetic hyperactivity and significantly elevate circulating catecholamine levels in both mice and human…

Abstract Background Laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT) of intracranial tumors or radiation necrosis enables tissue diagnosis, cytoreduction, and rapid return to systemic therapies. Ablated tissue remains in situ, resulting in characteristic post-LITT edema associated with transient clinical worsening and complicating post-LITT response assessment. Methods All patients receiving LITT at a single center for tumors or radiation necrosis from 2015 to 2023 with ≥9 months of MRI follow-up were included. An nnU-Ne…

Abstract Background Laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT) is a minimally invasive surgical treatment being employed frequently for radiographically progressive brain metastases. Considerable interest exists in combining LITT-mediated in situ vaccination to license immune checkpoint blockade (ICB). No studies have examined the clinical feasibility of this combination in brain metastases. Methods All patients receiving LITT for radiographically progressive non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) brain metastases a…

Abstract BACKGROUND Laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT) is a minimally invasive option for tissue diagnosis, cytoreduction, and rapid post-operative return to systemic therapies for patients with brain tumors or radiation necrosis. As ablated tissue remains in situ, post-LITT edema may be associated with apparent increased lesion size and transient clinical worsening, complicating assessment of progression. METHODS All patients receiving LITT at a single center for tumors or radiation necrosis from 2015 – 20…