Cancer is such a complex disease that there's no definite treatment for it. Rather, it depends on many factors, including the grade and stage, the overall physical condition of the person, the type of cancer, and the prognosis.
What makes it even more complicated is the fact that no doctor can ever guarantee of a complete cure. Even if he or she says that you don't have cancer anymore, there's still a possibility you will have a recurrence. The cancer may come back this time in a different body part or it can be a completely different type.
One of the reasons why this happens is because current therapies don't remove all cancer cells. They can be too miniscule or inconspicuous no test can spot them. Given the right environment, these cancer cells can develop into tumors and cancers.
Thus, the use of green glow for lung cancer patients can already be considered a breakthrough.
In an article published in CBS Pittsburgh website on Monday, October 14, a team of doctors at University of Pennsylvania's Penn Medicine led by Dr. Sunil Singha was able to use a special dye called ICG, which glows once infrared light comes close to contact with it.
To prove its effectiveness, they conducted a clinical trial on lung cancer patients. One of the participants was 65-year-old Francie Howat. A lifelong smoker, she developed lung cancer and was due for a surgery.
However, unlike a typical operation to remove the tumor from the lungs, the doctor first injected her with the dye. The dye then went into the cancer cells, w emitting a green glow once the infrared light was turned on.
This allowed the doctors to see that tissues that may have appeared normal or healthy in some tests were actually littered with cancer cells. They were undetected by CT scans because of their size and number, but without the dye, they can lead to recurrence.
Howat today is alive and well. With the help of the dye, all cancer cells may have been removed and that she didn't have to go through conventional treatments like chemotherapy and radiation.
For their part, the doctor hopes they can replicate the same process for other types of cancer.