This invention relates to new carbocyanine dye compositions, pharmaceutical compositions comprising such compositions, methods of detecting via near infrared fluorescent imaging incipient cancer cells and selective destruction of cancer cells identified by administration of such pharmaceutical compositions. A method of detecting and destroying cancer cells includes introducing a gold dye into an organism suspected of having a cancer cell. The gold dye is a carbocyanine dye covalently attached to a gold nanoparticle. A near infrared light is shined on a region suspected of having the cancer cell. Fluorescence from the gold dye is detected. A beam of radio frequency energy is directed at the region to induce hyperthermia in the cancer cell. The carbocyanine dye has the most basic structure of MHI-148 and structures 6 and 22 with a Aun—[CH2(CH2)9CH2—(OCH2CH2)4O]COCH2CH2-phenyl-O group on a cyclohexene ring that imparts activity to the cancer cell binding and destruction processes.