An experimental dye can help doctors find and remove prostate cancer The dye sticks to a protein found on the surface of cancer cells Doctors can see even hard-to-find cancer that has spread to nearby areas TUESDAY, June 11, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- British retiree David Butler was surprised to find that he had , and that it had spread to the lymph nodes and other places near the prostate. “I had literally no symptoms apart from needing to pee more quickly whenever I did go to the toilet,” Butler, 77, said in a news release. “Had I not told my (doctor) about it, I might not have caught my cancer until it was much further down the line.
But Butler is cancer-free now, thanks to a glowing dye that sticks to prostate cancer cells. The fluorescent dye essentially gives doctors a “second pair of eyes” during prostate cancer surgery, helping surgeons find and remove all of a man’s cancer in real-time, researchers reported June 10 in the . The dye identified areas of cancerous tissue not picked up by the naked eye or other clinical methods in 23 men who underwent prostate surgery, including Butler, researchers report.
Thus, doctors were able to remove all the cancer, which could reduce its changes of coming back, results show. The surgeons also avoided taking healthy tissue, reducing the risk of side effects following surgery. “It’s the first time we’ve managed to see such fine details of prostate cancer in real-time during surgery,” lead researcher , a professor .
