Surgeon makes Tumors Glow, Aids in Surgery with New Technology.

A completely successful cancer operation may soon be just an injection away.

Scientists have developed a way to make cancer cells glow so that surgeons can remove every last one of them while the patient is on the operating table.

"A surgeon can see the main tumor mass but even when they think they have got it all ... there can be microscopic cancer cells left behind," said Dr. David Kirsch, a radiation oncologist, professor at Duke and an author of a study published Wednesday in the journal Science Translational Medicine.

But Kirsch and his team tried a new tactic on 15 patients, injecting them with a substance that turned flourescent when it contacted cancerous cells.

No adverse effects were reported - other than temporary blue urine.

The next stage of the study will use a hand-held camera so doctors can look for additional, nearby glowing cancer cells during surgery.

“If we can increase the cases where 100% of the tumor is removed, we could prevent subsequent operations and potentially cancer recurrence ... or reduce how much radiation a patient will receive, said Dr. Brian Brigman, chief of orthopedic oncology at Duke and an author of the paper.