Nanotechnology: An Evolution in Tissue Preservation and Focal-Targeted Oncologic Therapy

The treatment of urologic malignancies has evolved toward tissue-sparing and targeted therapies. Nanotechnology is at the forefront of these advances, particularly in the diagnosis and treatment of prostate and renal cancers. In diagnostics, computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) combined with lymphotropic nanoparticles significantly improve the detection of metastatic lymph nodes and cancer staging. In therapeutics, nanoparticles passively and actively target tumor cells to focally ablate using a variety of thermal ablative techniques. Targeted therapy using nanoparticles labeled with chemotherapeutic agents has also shown success. The field of nanotechnology holds considerable promise for the future of urologic cancer therapy in the era of tissue preservation. Future studies are needed to improve the development and use of these particles to further advance urologic cancer theranostics.