Avenues for integrating photothermal therapy in cancer clinic

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Biomedical Engineering
• Photomedicine

Background:

• Experimental cancer therapeutics are advancing rapidly.
• Photothermal therapy (PTT) offers therapeutic potential for reducing global cancer burden.
• Clinical integration of PTT faces several challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• This review focuses on challenges hindering the clinical integration of PTT.
• To identify key considerations for advancing PTT in clinical settings.

Main Methods:

• Review of current literature on PTT.
• Analysis of parameters for photothermal agent (PTA) evaluation.
• Identification of critical factors for clinical translation.

Main Results:

• Common PTA evaluations include biocompatibility, biodistribution, and efficacy.
• Clinical translation requires improved PTA targeting efficiency and fate determination.
• Sophisticated photonic device engineering, precision assessment, and pain mitigation are critical.

Conclusions:

• Addressing PTA behavior, device engineering, and patient experience is vital for PTT clinical application.
• Future research should focus on these critical factors to facilitate PTT as a viable cancer treatment.