Colouring cancer cells

Surgeons operating on cancer patients have no way of determining in real-time whether they have removed all of the diseased tissue, which is the key to successful surgery.

However, that could soon be a thing of the past.

Researchers in Massachusetts have developed an imaging system that highlights cancerous tissue in the body, so surgeons can see and remove it more easily with less damage to normal tissue near the tumour.

The technique shows particular promise for improving surgery on breast, prostate and lung cancer, the tumour boundaries for which can be difficult to track at advanced stages.

The technique can also help cancer surgeons avoid cutting critical structures such as blood vessels and nerves.

Dr John Frangioni, project director of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) in Boston and co-director of its Center for Imaging Technology and Molecular Diagnostics, said: 'This technique is really the first time that cancer surgeons can see structures that are otherwise invisible, providing true image-guided surgery. If we are able to see cancer, we have a chance of curing it.'