Fibre-optic device can detect stray cancer cells and improve tumour removal: study

TORONTO -- A fibre-optic probe can detect errant cancer cells within healthy tissue during brain tumour surgery with close to 100 per cent accuracy and sensitivity, reducing the risk of recurrence and thereby increasing a patient's survival time, say the Canadian researchers who developed the device. The hand-held, pen-like instrument, known as a Raman spectroscopy probe, is able to differentiate between cancer cells and healthy cells by measuring the way each reflects laser-based light. -- More...