Every year, approx. 500,000 people in Germany are diagnosed with cancer. Diagnostics and treatment are continually evolving. However, it is still almost impossible for physicians to quickly determine the success of a tumor resection during surgery. Still today it is customary to take a tissue sample from the wound margin and have it pathologically examined in the laboratory in order to ensure that all tumor cells have been removed. The Fraunhofer Center MEOS has developed a novel system that can be used quickly, reliably, and directly on site in the operating room: a MEMS-based, confocal microscope for rapid detection of tumor boundaries during surgery.