A review of laser therapy for fast growing brain tumors
Original title: Laser Interstitial Thermal Therapy for High-Grade Gliomas: Current Evidence, Clinical Applications and Emerging Role of Artificial Intelligence.
How far along is this research?
- Lab cells
- Animals
- Review
- Tested in people
This looks across many earlier studies rather than running a new one.
This treatment is already used in some hospitals for certain patients.
The short version
Doctors can use heat from a laser to destroy brain tumors that are hard to reach.
What was studied. Researchers gathered past studies on laser therapy for high grade gliomas, a fast growing brain tumor. They found 196 articles and included 69 studies that used data from people.
What they found. The laser destroyed 85 to 98% of the tumor tissue it treated. In people with new glioblastoma: The fastest-growing type of glioma (grade 4). Treatment usually starts soon after diagnosis: surgery first, then radiation and chemotherapy. See the glossary, survival was about 11 to 16 months. In people whose tumor came back, fewer had problems after laser therapy than after surgery, 5.7% compared to 13.8%, and hospital stays were shorter, 2.2 days compared to 7 days.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: If your tumor is deep or in a risky spot, laser therapy may be one option. It may also be a choice if your tumor has come back. Your care team can tell you if you are a good fit.
What it doesn't mean: This is not a cure. This report is a review of older studies, not a new trial. Many of those studies looked back at past patient records, which is weaker proof. It does not show that laser therapy beats surgery. The computer tools mentioned here are still early tests and are not used in care yet.
Source: PubMed, July 29, 2026 · Read the original
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