Neurosurgical Oncology Fellow University of Miami Miami, Florida, United States
Introduction: Bilateral/Butterfly glioblastoma (bGBM) has a poor prognosis. Resection of these tumors is limited due to severe co-morbidities that arise from surgical procedures. Laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT) offers a minimally invasive cytoreductive therapy for deep seated tumors such as bGBM. The objective of this study is to evaluate the safety of bilateral LITT in patients with bGBM.
Methods: Medical records of all consecutive patients diagnosed with bGBM by a single surgeon at a single institution from January 2014 to August 2022 were reviewed. Clinical, safety and radiographic volumetric data were obtained. Additionally, an exploratory analysis of survival was performed.
Results: A total of 25 patients were included; 14 underwent biopsy only and 11 underwent biopsy + LITT (7 underwent bilateral and 4 underwent unilateral LITT). No (0%) intraoperative or postoperative complications were recorded in the treatment group. Tumor volume negatively correlated with extent of treatment (r2=0.44, p=0.027). The median PFS of the biopsy only group was 84 days and 165 days in the biopsy + LITT group (p=0.052). The median OS of the biopsy only group was 129 days and 309 in the biopsy + LITT group (p=0.04).
Conclusion : Bilateral LITT can be safely performed for butterfly glioblastoma with an improvement in the long-term survival outcomes from biopsy-alone.
