An optimized and particular cancer therapy must deliver the right type of
treatment to the right targeted tissue to achieve control of the disease efficiently with
minimal local and systemic toxicity and side effects. Advances in nanotechnology have
introduced some approaches that offer new alternatives to diagnose and treat after
being used in medicine. When the hydrophilic molecules are attached as carrier
particles, they may remain in circulation for longer, which leads to the target organ.
These new advances in recent years in nanotheranostics have expanded this concept
and allowed characterization of individual tumors, prediction of nanoparticle–tumor
interactions, and creation of tailor-designed new nanomedicines for individualized
treatment in medicine. Advances in imaging technologies used in diseases, in general,
have resulted in additional consortium guidelines for standardizing diagnostic imaging
in clinical oncology. Diagnostic imaging using Ultrasonography (US), Computed
Tomography (CT), Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), and Positron Emission
Tomography (PET) have been the most important tools. Nuclear Imaging allows a
proper diagnosis, much earlier treatment, and better follow up opening a new door by
non-invasive in vitro/ex vivo assessments in the oncology field and for personalized
medicine. A nanotheranostic probe for nuclear medicine gives combined diagnostic and
therapeutic capabilities by radiolabeling the different emitters (α, β+, β-, γ) used for
imaging and/or therapy. The radiolabeled nanoparticles consist of the labeling of
radionuclides onto the nanomaterials that cause deeper penetration increasing internal
radiotherapy in cancer cells and inducing cell death. An ideal radionuclide
nanotheranostic probe has properties such as long shelf life, easily accessible
radionuclides, convenient half-life, easy and high marking efficiency, in vivo stability,
lack of immunological reaction, rapidly clearance from circulation and directed to the
target, high image quality, retention of radionuclide in the liposome and its metabolites
should be non-toxic. The emergence and its further development of the nanotheranostic concept illustrate the need for a multidisciplinary approach with the common objective
of improving the management of clinical oncology trials. The simultaneous yield of
imaging in radiologic and nuclear medicine applications and therapeutic agents offer
the possibility of diagnosis and treatment feedbacks on the treatment effectiveness in
real-time.
Keywords: Cancer diagnosis, Cancer therapy, Chemotherapy, Computed
tomography, Imaging modalities, Magnetic resonance imaging, Nanotheranostics,
Nuclear medicine.