Cancer is a multi-factorial disease that necessitates a multi-modality
therapeutic approach to accomplish a favorable outcome. Recently, theranostic based
systems have been introduced for the diagnosis coupled cancer therapy. The
development of targeted novel drug/gene delivery approaches for safe and efficacious
treatment of cancer is an emerging arena that includes liposomes, nanoparticles,
nanoemulsion, gene therapy, immunosuppressant therapy, herbal bioactive loaded
nanocarriers and stimuli sensitive systems (pH, temperature, ultrasound, redox
potential, hypoxia and magnetic). Advancements in molecular biology have rendered a
wide range of targeting moieties (ligands) and a meticulous understanding of the cancer
biology is under extensive exploration for the selection of appropriate targets for cancer
treatment. The outcomes of various clinical studies of nanocarriers depict an
improvement in the anticancer efficacy and reduction in side effects. This chapter is an
assemblage of advances in the novel targeting approaches that enable the cancer
prevention, prediction, diagnosis and treatment.
Keywords: Cancer, Diagnosis, Liposomes, Nanocarriers, Nanoparticles.