The guidelines named "Congress of Neurological Surgeons Systematic Review and Evidence-Based Guidelines Update for the Role of Emerging Therapies in the Management of Patients with Metastatic Brain Tumors", authored by Huntoon K et al are published in the high-impact medical journal Neurosurgery, and the background and importance of the guidelines are discussed in a podcast hosted by CNS.

Clinical guidelines are essential to both physicians and patients to ensure that evidence-based medicine is practiced to the benefit of patients and healthcare systems. The updated guidelines by CNS provide clear recommendations on when LITT should be considered based on thorough independent reviews of clinical data.

Guideline recommendations on Brain Metastases

In conclusion, the new recommendations state that LITT is considered equivalent to open surgery (craniotomy) in terms of progression-free survival and overall survival for adult patients with progressing brain metastases after radiation therapy.

Brain metastases are unfortunately very common, affecting 8-25 % of all cancer patients1. Primary diseases where brain metastases often develop are lung cancer, breast cancer, renal cell carcinoma, and melanoma.

Guideline recommendations on Radiation Necrosis

Moreover, the guidelines also state that for patients with radiation necrosis, LITT is considered equivalent to medical management, which is the first line treatment for symptomatic patients.

Radiation necrosis is a side effect occurring in up to 25% of radiation therapy cases2. It can cause severe symptoms and even be life threatening.

Significance of the new clinical guidelines

In the podcast hosted by CNS, one of the authors of the updated guidelines, Dr Mark E Linskey, Professor of Neurological Surgery, University of California, clarifies that the increasing interest and level of evidence supporting LITT is one of the main triggers of the update. Moreover, he is emphasizing that medical centers who want to be in the forefront may consider acquiring the technology for LITT, to ensure they are not left behind.

"The updated guidelines represent an important step forward for a broader use of LITT and the ClearPoint Prism system for the treatment of significant patient categories in neurosurgery" says Liselotte Nilsson, VP Marketing at CLS. "Even if brain metastases and radiation necrosis have been treated with LITT commercially for many years, LITT has mainly been offered to inoperable patients. Based on the updated guidelines, the outcome after LITT is now considered equivalent to standard care, meaning that LITT can now be considered for many more patients.

In the U.S, the ClearPoint Prism® Neuro Laser Therapy system, powered by CLS, is regularly used for LITT treatment of both brain metastases and radiation necrosis.

References

1. Vogelbaum M A et al 2021

2. Bernhardt D et al 2022

Links

• CNS Guidelines Publication in Neurosurgery
• CNS Guideline Podcast

For more information, please contact:


Dan J Mogren, CEO, Clinical Laserthermia Systems AB (publ)

Phone: +46 (0) 70-590 11 40

E-mail: dan.mogren@clinicallaser.com

About CLS

Clinical Laserthermia Systems AB (publ), develops and sells TRANBERG® Thermal Therapy System and ClearPoint Prism® Neuro Laser Therapy System with sterile disposables, for minimally invasive treatment of cancer tumors and drug-resistant epilepsy. The products are marketed and sold through partners for image-guided laser ablation and are used in studies for treatment with imILT®, the company's interstitial laser thermotherapy for immune stimulating ablation with potential abscopal treatment effect. CLS is headquartered in Lund, Sweden, with subsidiaries in Germany, the United States and a marketing company in Singapore. CLS is listed on Nasdaq First North Growth Market under the symbol CLS B. Certified adviser (CA) is FNCA Sweden AB.

For more information about CLS, please visit the Company's website: www.clinicallaser.se