Laboratory scientists are hoping to detect aggressive cancers before they become deadly by making growths glow.
Researchers at Vanderbilt University are using imaging agents in tumours that will cause specific parts to light up as they begin to form.
Fluorescent inhibitors of the enzyme cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) can be spotted at the pre-malignancy stage and may help to track the progress of the disease.
Commenting on the development, Dr Lawrence Marnett said he and his team are "very excited" and they are looking to perform human trials as soon as possible.
"It was a real challenge to make a compound that is COX-2 selective (doesn't bind to the related COX-1 enzyme), has desirable fluorescence properties and gets to the tissue in vivo," he explained.
Laboratory scientists recently revealed that twice as many Swedish people survive lung cancer than Brits with the disease.
According to the experts, a lack of awareness regarding the symptoms could be delaying treatment in the UK, leading to higher mortality rates.
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