Full Text | PDF

Theranostics 2018; 8(16):4279-4294. doi:10.7150/thno.26345 This issue Cite

Review

Imaging and therapy of ovarian cancer: clinical application of nanoparticles and future perspectives

Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Giuseppe Ricci, Giovanni Maria Severini, Federico Romano, Stefania Biffi^✉

Institute for Maternal and Child Health, IRCCS Burlo Garofolo, Trieste, Italy

✉ Corresponding author: Stefania Biffi, Ph.D., Institute for Maternal and Child Health, IRCCS Burlo Garofolo, Via dell'Istria 65/1, 34137 Trieste, Italy; phone +39.040.3785.419; fax +39.040.660919; e-mail: stefania.biffitrieste.it

Abstract

Despite significant advances in cancer diagnostics and treatment, ovarian cancers (OC) continue to kill more than 150,000 women every year worldwide. Due to the relatively asymptomatic nature and the advanced stage of the disease at the time of diagnosis, OC is the most lethal gynecologic malignancy. The current treatment for advanced OC relies on the synergistic effect of combining surgical cytoreduction and chemotherapy; however, beside the fact that chemotherapy resistance is a major challenge in OC management, new imaging strategies are needed to target microscopic lesions and improve both cytoreductive surgery and patient outcomes. In this context, nanostructured probes are emerging as a new class of medical tool that can simultaneously provide imaging contrast, target tumor cells, and carry a wide range of medicines resulting in better diagnosis and therapeutic precision. Herein we summarize several exemplary efforts in nanomedicine for addressing unmet clinical needs.

Keywords: ovarian cancer, imaging, therapy, nanoparticles, surgery

Citation styles

©2025 Ivyspring International Publisher. Terms of use