Fluorescent marker can help guide surgeons to remove dangerous brain tumour cells more accurately

A chemical that highlights tumour cells has been used by surgeons to help spot and safely remove brain cancer in a trial presented by a University of Bristol academic at the 2018 NCRI Cancer Conference.

The research was carried out with patients who had suspected glioma, the disease that killed Dame Tessa Jowell, and 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.

Researchers say that using the fluorescent marker helps surgeons to distinguish the most aggressive cancer cells from other brain tissue and they hope this will ultimately improve patient survival.

The research was presented by Dr Kathreena Kurian, a Reader/Associate Professor in brain tumour research at the University of Bristol and consultant neuropathologist at North Bristol NHS Trust. The study was led by Colin Watts, Professor of Neurosurgery and chair of the Birmingham brain cancer programme at the University of Birmingham.

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