Detecting and effectively treating cancer as early as possible is the key to patient survival. In addition to chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and other treatments, the disease often requires surgical intervention to remove cancerous cells.

But despite extensive pre-operative planning, surgeons aren’t always able to locate and remove all cancerous tissue during operation. If the initial surgery leaves cancerous cells in the body, the disease can recur. That, in turn, can lead to another round of invasive surgery. In fact, many cancer patients require additional rounds of surgery to remove cancer cells missed during the first operation. Improving these odds and increasing the chances of successful surgery is critical to effective treatment.

To help cancer patients and their surgeons beat the odds, medical device company Lightpoint Medical Ltd. has teamed up with product development firm Sagentia to develop the LightPath™ Imaging System, the world's first intra-operative molecular imaging system. The LightPath Imaging System is designed for surgeons to use in the operating room during live surgery to determine whether they have removed all cancerous tissue, thereby increasing the chance of success.

Read the full story in MIT Technology Review