Photothermal therapy technology of metastatic colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common malignancies. The current treatments of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) are ineffective and the bottleneck problem. It is of significance to explore effective new therapeutic strategies to eradicate mCRC. Photothermal therapy (PTT) is an emerging technology for tumor therapy, with the potential in the treatment of mCRC. In this review, the current treatment approaches to mCRC including surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy interventional therapy, biotherapy, and photothermal therapy are reviewed. In addition, we will focus on the various kinds of nanomaterials used in PTT for the treatment of CRC both in vitro and in vivo models. In conclusion, we will summarize the combined application of PTT with other theranostic methods, and propose future research directions of PTT in the treatment of CRC.