Implications of Nanotechnology in Cancer Diagnostics and Therapeutics

Abstract

Cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide attributed to various factors including changing lifestyle, exposure to chemical carcinogens, environmental pollution, and genetic factors. Such high death rate is partly due to late diagnosis and lack of effective and affordable therapies specifically in developing countries. Although in recent years there have been tremendous progress in improving cancer diagnostics and therapeutic approaches, we are still very far from controlling cancer deaths. Nanotechnology is an upcoming field of science, which deals with nanomaterial at the atomic and molecular level and holds great potential in human health and medicine. The synthesis, characterization, and applications of nanoparticles are among the most important sections of the wide range of nanotechnology areas that have immense potential, particularly in the diagnostic, imaging, and therapeutic domains of cancer research. This chapter reviews the potential of nanomaterials specifically nanoparticles and their applications in developing or improving cancer diagnostics and therapeutic approaches.