Marker aids in detection of hidden cancer

A new molecule that seeks out and labels cancer cells could help guide surgeons to hidden pockets of disease--and one day could allow for more complete tumor removal.

The label was developed by researchers at the University of California at San Diego and works by tagging cancer cells with a fluorescent marker to highlight tumors for identification and removal during surgery. It also contains a magnetic marker that can be used to evaluate the disease via magnetic resonance imaging, according to the MIT Technology Review.

The novel marker, which fluoresces in the near-infrared, would allow radiologists to localize tumors magnetically during a pre-operative MRI scan. Surgeons could follow the infrared map to remove all traces of glowing tumor, and then radiologists could perform a post-operative MRI to ensure there's no remaining evidence of disease, the articles states.

In mice studies, researchers were able to find and remove 90 percent more residual cancer cells than was possible with visible light alone. With the new molecule, "we can not only do guided surgery, but we can show an increase in survival," says Roger Tsien, a biochemist at UCSD and the project's lead researcher.

- read more at MIT Technology Review

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