'Spotlight' drug detects cancer cells left behind in surgery

(Tufts University, November 08, 2013)

When a tumor is surgically removed, there’s always a chance the cancer will return. Even the tiniest bit of malignancy left behind - not observable to the human eye - creates a pathway for the disease to recur. Researchers from Tufts University are now testing a method developed by MIT that will let doctors know whether even a single malignant cell remains while the patient is still in the operating room. The drug that is administered one day before surgery contains a fluorescent dye that acts like a cancer-illuminating spotlight during the operation. Once the tumor is removed, the surgeon aims a specially designed camera at the surgical area. Glowing areas pinpoint to the sites where tumor cells are left behind and need to be removed.