A new light in cancer surgery: helping surgeons to remove tumours more safely

Ana Piqueras Hinojo

Fundació Institut d’Investigació en Ciències de la Salut Germans Trias i Pujol (IGTP), Barcelona, Spain

Cancer is a major health problem worldwide, and even with the best treatments available, it is difficult to ensure that every cancer cell is completely removed. Usual treatments like surgery, chemotherapy, and other methods often leave some cancer cells behind. These leftover cells can grow again, leading to the disease returning or spreading, which is why treating cancer remains such a challenge.

To tackle this problem, researchers have developed a new tool that attaches to the equipment surgeons already use. This tool stands out because it helps doctors find and remove cancer cells more accurately during surgery, and it also helps destroy any cancer cells that might remain afterward.

The way it works is simple. During the operation, the tool uses a special light that makes cancer cells glow, showing doctors exactly where the cancer is located. This glowing effect allows surgeons to remove the cancer more completely. But there’s an extra benefit: after the tumour has been removed, the same light is used again to start a process that helps to damage or destroy any remaining cancer cells. This two-step method is especially useful for hard-to-treat cancers, like those in the pancreas or nearby areas, where it can be very difficult to remove all the cancer with surgery alone.

This new device is being designed to work with tools that hospitals already have so it could become widely used in the future. With this technology, doctors hope to make cancer surgery safer and more successful, lowering the chances of cancer coming back and helping more people enjoy healthier lives.

Combining the power of surgery and light in the treatment of cancer

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