A method of determining if a sputum sample contains dysplastic or carcinomic cells the method comprising: obtaining a sputum sample from a human patient suspected of containing dysplastic or carcinomic cells the method comprising: labeling the sputum sample with 0.05-4.0 ug/ml of TCPP in an aqueous alcohol of between 50% and 90% isopropanol alcohol solution at a pH of between 6.0 and 10.5 to stain cells suspected to be dysplastic or carcinomic; exciting the labeled sputum sample with an excitation wavelength from a light source having a controlled emission rate for a wavelength of light of about 475 nm +/- 30 nm; focusing an imager on the plasma membrane of i) one or more cells suspected to be dysplastic or carcinomic cells and ii) normal cells to capture an image of i) and ii) at a sensor having pixels capable of quantifying the photon flux at any given pixel on the sensor wherein the sensor comprises a CCD; detecting within the sputum sample emission at about 560 nm +/- 30nm from cells identified to be macrophages; detecting emission at about 655 nm +/- 30 nm if present for TCPP labeled cells of the sputum sample after focusing on the plasma membrane of i) one or more cells suspected of being dysplastic or carcinomic cells and ii) normal cells; measuring photon flux at each pixel of the sensor to obtain a quantitative value for the imaged cell; and scoring with an appropriately programed processor the measured quantitative value to determine if a cell is cancerous or dysplastic based upon a preferential binding of TCPP to the cancerous or dysplastic cell as compared to the non-cancerous cell. obtaining a sputum sample from a human patient suspected of containing dysplastic or carcinomic cells the method comprising: labeling the sputum sample with 0.05-4.0 ug/ml of TCPP in an aqueous alcohol of between 50% and 90% isopropanol alcohol solution at a pH of between 6.0 and 10.5 to stain cells suspected to be dysplastic or carcinomic; exciting the labeled sputum sample with an excitation wavelength from a light source having a controlled emission rate for a wavelength of light of about 475 nm +/- 30 nm; focusing an imager on the plasma membrane of i) one or more cells suspected to be dysplastic or carcinomic cells and ii) normal cells to capture an image of i) and ii) at a sensor having pixels capable of quantifying the photon flux at any given pixel on the sensor wherein the sensor comprises a CCD; detecting within the sputum sample emission at about 560 nm +/- 30nm from cells identified to be macrophages; detecting emission at about 655 nm +/- 30 nm if present for TCPP labeled cells of the sputum sample after focusing on the plasma membrane of i) one or more cells suspected of being dysplastic or carcinomic cells and ii) normal cells; measuring photon flux at each pixel of the sensor to obtain a quantitative value for the imaged cell; and scoring with an appropriately programed processor the measured quantitative value to determine if a cell is cancerous or dysplastic based upon a preferential binding of TCPP to the cancerous or dysplastic cell as compared to the non-cancerous cell. labeling the sputum sample with 0.05-4.0 ug/ml of TCPP in an aqueous alcohol of between 50% and 90% isopropanol alcohol solution at a pH of between 6.0 and 10.5 to stain cells suspected to be dysplastic or carcinomic; exciting the labeled sputum sample with an excitation wavelength from a light source having a controlled emission rate for a wavelength of light of about 475 nm +/- 30 nm; focusing an imager on the plasma membrane of i) one or more cells suspected to be dysplastic i) one or more cells suspected to be dysplastic or carcinomic cells and ii) normal cells to capture an image of i) and ii) at a sensor having pixels capable of quantifying the photon flux at any given pixel on the sensor wherein the sensor comprises a CCD; detecting within the sputum sample emission at about 560 nm +/- 30nm from cells identified to be macrophages; detecting emission at about 655 nm +/- 30 nm if present for TCPP labeled cells of the sputum sample after focusing on the plasma membrane of i) one or more cells suspected of being dysplastic or carcinomic cells and ii) normal cells; measuring photon flux at each pixel of the sensor to obtain a quantitative value for the imaged cell; and scoring with an appropriately programed processor the measured quantitative value to determine if a cell is cancerous or dysplastic based upon a preferential binding of TCPP to the cancerous or dysplastic cell as compared to the non-cancerous cell.