Doctors fire laser bursts that last anywhere from thirty seconds to a few minutes and generate up to 160 degrees of heat to kill the cancer cells in the brain.
(ABC News)
"The beauty of the system is that it allows us to cut off the laser when the heat wave gets out to the point where it could cause harm," Barnett told ABC News.
The effect is dramatic. Images taken the next day show no obvious signs of cancer in Perko's brain.
So far, this newly developed technique has only been tested in four patients, but the results have been significant with no complications. Government regulators could decide as early as this year whether to approve this treatment for many more patients.
"I think this technology is a real game changer in terms of what we can do for patients with brain tumors," said Barnett.
Brain cancer is a particularly aggressive disease, and most tumors eventually grow back. But Barnett says this experimental treatment could help.
"By destroying the vast majority of the tumor we increase the odds the patients will live longer." And unlike conventional surgery, this treatment means Perko's recovery will now take just days, instead of weeks.
For information on clinical trials using this procedure, visit clinicaltrials.gov. Click here to learn more Monteris Medical's AutoLITT laser thermal therapy.
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