Recent Advances in Nanotechnology for Diagnosis and Treatment of Cancer

Cancer is an extremely challenging disease to cure. A normally functioning cell starts to proliferate uncontrollably and causes a whole set of problems ranging from pain, bleeding, fertility loss, functionality loss of organs, and eventually death. Conventional imaging modalities are unable to detect cancer at an early stage and have limitations like non-specificity, lymphedema, and even the onset of another cancer while treating one. Conventional treatment methods like surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy are tedious, costly, time-consuming, and yet less effective. The use of nanotechnology and nanoparticles in cancer detection and treatment has helped to overcome such limitations to a great extent. The development of nanoparticles like Quantum Dots (QDs), Gold Nanoparticles (AuNPs), and carbon nanotubes are capable of detecting cancer at an early stage which is crucial to increase the success of treatment. In addition, nanotechnology-based drug carriers like polymeric nanoparticles, liposomes, dendrimers, and nanoemulsions make it possible to target specific cancer cells and deliver effective drugs without causing any damage to normal healthy cells. This review aims to summarize the recent progress in the field of nanotechnology for cancer detection and treatment, limitations, and associated challenges, and the prospects to overcome those challenges.