According to the World Health Organization, lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer-related death in men and women, and is responsible for 1.3 million deaths worldwide annually as of 2004. Surgery remains the best option for patients presenting with operable Stage I or II cancers, however the five year survival rate for these candidates remains at a dismal 53% for Stage I and 32% for Stage II1. The high rates of recurrence suggest that surgeons are unable to completely detect and remove primary tumor nodules in a satisfactory manner as well as lingering metastases in sentinel lymph nodes. By ensuring a negative margin through near-infrared imagery with a safe non-toxic contrast agent it would be possible for the investigators to improve the rates of recurrence free patients and thus overall survival. This study is a small pilot/feasibility study to determine if the investigators camera system can be effective at identifying malignancies in lung cancer patients.
