Application of Nanoparticles in Cancer Treatment: A Concise Review

Cancer is among the leading causes of death worldwide. Therefore, timely diagnosis and appropriate treatment are very important. There are many disadvantages that come with traditional cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy. In these treatments, the specific drug concentration affects not only the tumor site but also healthy tissues or organs. One of the foremost promising uses of nanotechnology is in the field of medical technology and specific site targeting can be achieved due to manipulation of materials at a nanometric scale. Nanotechnology offers specific benefits in terms of cancer therapy by enhancing it and reducing its adverse effects by guiding drugs to selectively target cancer cells. In addition, the use of minute amounts of medicine can lead to cost savings. Furthermore, nanoparticles can also be used as imaging agents to improve cancer diagnostics, therapeutics, and treatment management. Thus, this review has focused on the different types of nanoparticles used in cancer therapy, their action mechanisms, and their benefits and applications in diagnosis, imaging, and treatment. This review sums up the parameters that need to be considered when designing systems for cancer therapy while considering the desired characteristics of the nanoparticles from the biological point of view.