The present invention provides methods and compositions for detecting and treating malignant tissue, organs or cells in a mammal. The method comprises parenterally injecting a mammalian subject, at a locus or by a route providing access to the tissue or organ, with a composition comprising a monoclonal antibody (chimeric, humanized, fully human), partial antibody, Fab Fragment, antibody fragment that is tagged with a fluorophore with or without the addition of a therapeutic chemotherapy molecule, which specifically binds to the targeted organ, tissue or cell. Resection of the primary malignant tissue within the mammalian species (using the fluorescence of the fluorescing targeting construct) provides the advantage of identifying all bulk tumor as fluorescent at the time of the original tumor resection. Additional (adjuvant) therapy is provided by the chemotherapy molecule that is bound to the fluorescent-tagged monoclonal antibody (or antibody part thereof that is bound to small, microscopic clusters of cells (circulating tumor cells or tissue bound small microscopic clusters of cells) that are not visible to the naked eye and that could not be seen with the aid of the excitation light source and a magnification device. Chemotherapy molecules bound to the fluorescent-tagged monoclonal antibody construct provide the additional benefit of killing off the malignant cells that might be undetected using just the excitation light source for surgical resection.
