Nanotechnologies in cancer treatment and diagnosis

Despite significant efforts toward research and treatment development, cancer continues to be a major health problem in the United States that is only further enhanced by the heterogeneous nature of the disease. Nanotechnology has evolved as a technology with applications to medicine and the potential to improve clinical outcomes, with its application to cancer garnering much attention recently. In particular, through the generation of novel nanoscale devices and therapeutic platforms, nanotechnologies have emerged as innovative approaches that enable the detection and diagnosis of cancer at its earliest stages, and the delivery of anticancer drugs directly to tumors. This article highlights recent advances in the development of nanotechnologies for cancer therapeutics and diagnostics, and focuses on the potential future of cancer nanotechnology and the challenges this young field faces as it continues to move toward clinical translation.