title: Laser interstitial thermal therapy for palliative ablation of a chordoma metastasis to the spine: case report.
abstract: The authors present the first report of laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT) ablation of a recurrent chordoma metastasis to the cervical spine. This patient was a 75-year-old woman who was diagnosed and treated for a sacral chordoma, and then developed metastases to the lung and upper thoracic spine. Unfortunately she experienced symptomatic recurrence at the C-7 spinous process. She underwent an uncomplicated LITT to the lesion. The patient convalesced without incident and was discharged on postoperative Day 1. She received stereotactic spinal radiosurgery to the lesion at a dose of 24 Gy in 1 fraction. At the 3-month follow-up evaluation she had radiographic response and improvement in her symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas.
authors.forename: Brian J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas.
authors.forename: Patrick J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Karas
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas.
authors.forename: Ganesh
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rao
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas.
authors.forename: Laurence D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Rhines
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas.
authors.forename: Claudio E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Tatsui
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002817:Chordoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053685:Laser Therapy; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy*; D010166:Palliative Care; D012447:Sacrum / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D013125:Spinal Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000556:secondary / Q000628:therapy*
keywords: IMRT = intensity-modulated radiation therapy; LITT = laser interstitial thermal therapy; SRS = stereotactic radiosurgery; ablation; chordoma; laser interstitial thermal therapy; metastasis; oncology