Laser Treatment Before Immunotherapy Boosts Brain Cancer Survival

A new brain cancer treatment approach combining laser therapy with immunotherapy is showing promising results for patients with aggressive tumors that are usually difficult to treat.

Researchers found that performing laser treatment before immunotherapy significantly improved survival in patients with recurrent high-grade astrocytoma, a fast-growing brain cancer that includes glioblastoma.

The study focused on patients who received Laser Interstitial Thermal Therapy (LITT) followed by the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab, widely known as Keytruda. The minimally invasive laser procedure destroys tumor tissue with heat and temporarily disrupts the brain’s protective barrier, allowing the immunotherapy drug to reach cancer cells more effectively.

Results from the clinical trial showed a notable improvement in survival. About 42% of patients who received laser treatment before immunotherapy were still alive after 18 months, and more than one-third survived longer than three years. In comparison, patients who underwent conventional surgery followed by the same immunotherapy did not survive beyond the 18-month mark.

Also Read: Role of Wellness in Corporate & Community Health

Dilip Shanghvi, Managing Director of Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, has spoken about the growing role of immune-based therapies in cancer care. She said, “Immunotherapy is changing the way cancer is treated and offers new hope for patients where conventional therapies have limited impact.”

The brain cancer treatment strategy works by using heat from the laser to open the blood-brain barrier for several weeks. This barrier normally protects the brain from harmful substances but also blocks many drugs, including immunotherapy medicines. By briefly disrupting this barrier, the therapy allows immune cells and the drug to reach the tumor more easily and attack cancer cells.

Researchers also found that the laser procedure may help activate the body’s immune response. As tumor tissue breaks down after heating, fragments can pass into the bloodstream, alerting immune system T-cells to recognize and target the cancer. This immune activation could strengthen the effectiveness of immunotherapy drugs.

Pankaj Patel, Chairman of Zydus Lifesciences, has also emphasized the potential of immunotherapy in oncology. He said, “The future of cancer care will be driven by therapies that harness the body’s own immune system to fight disease.”

The trial involved patients with recurrent high-grade astrocytoma, a condition that often returns even after surgery. People diagnosed with this advanced brain cancer typically survive only four to five months after recurrence, making new treatment strategies urgently needed.

Researchers say the findings suggest that combining laser therapy with immunotherapy could become an important option for patients who have limited treatments available. Larger trials are still needed, but the early results indicate that this approach may significantly extend survival for patients with aggressive brain tumors.

Report and Data

• Around 42% of patients who received laser treatment before immunotherapy were still alive 18 months after treatment.
• More than one-third of the patients survived longer than three years, which researchers said is significant for this aggressive cancer.
• Patients who underwent standard surgery followed by the same immunotherapy drug did not survive beyond 18 months in the study.
• Patients with recurrent high-grade astrocytoma typically have a median survival of about four to five months after recurrence.