A drink containing a compound that makes tumour cells glow has helped surgeons in Britain to spot and safely remove brain cancer. The research was carried out with patients who had suspected glioma, the most common form of brain cancer. Treatment usually involves surgery to remove as much of the cancer as possible, but it can be challenging for surgeons to identify all of the cancer cells while avoiding healthy brain tissue.
The researchers used a compound called 5-aminolevulinic acid or 5-ALA, which glows pink when a light is shone on it. Before surgery, each patient was given a drink containing 5-ALA. Surgeons then used operating microscopes to help them look for fluorescent tissue while removing tumours from the patients' brains. The tissue they removed was sent to the pathology lab where scientists could confirm the accuracy of the surgeons' work.