The probe that generates heat maps should make surgery more accurate

A “highlighter pen”could transform the treatment of prostate cancer as scientists at Imperial College London develop a probe that generates “heat maps” of tumours.

The method should make surgery more accurate, improving the odds of all the cancer being removed and sparing patients distressing side-effects.

Dan Elson, a professor of surgical imaging and the lead researcher, said: “To the naked eye cancerous tissue is virtually impossible to distinguish from healthy tissue, meaning surgeons are often left with difficult and risky decisions on how much to remove.

“Our research aims to give surgeons the crucial information they need to guide decisions in the operating theatre, which we hope could one day transform the outlook for prostate cancer surgery by reducing side-effects and the likelihood the disease