Cut-by-Color Surgery

What: Fluorescence-Assisted Resection and Exploration, a new technique that makes cancerous tissue glow during surgery, one cell at a time
Where: Boston
Why: Of the 1.5 million cases of cancer diagnosed annually, nearly all of them require surgery.
Wow: Pinpoints the spread of cancer in seconds

The best way to stop a tumor from spreading is to simply cut it all out. The tricky part is to do that without damaging healthy tissue. Now oncologist John Frangioni at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston has invented a technique that lights up tumorous tissue like a neon sign and sets it off from non-cancerous tissue. It's called FLARE, for Fluorescence-Assisted Resection and Exploration, and it works a bit like a multicolored highlighter for surgeons.