Chapter 11 - Recent advances in diagnosis and therapy of skin cancers through nanotechnological approaches

Abstract

Very prevalent in the human population, skin cancers cause numerous deaths annually and the costs associated with their diagnosis and therapy are increasing. The science and technology of nanometer-size materials, nanotechnology, seems the best candidate in the development of alternative approaches for diagnosis, treatment, and prophylaxis of severe diseases, including cancer. Nanotechnology is able to overcome major limitations of current therapeutic strategies by specifically targeting the tumor, by stabilizing chemotherapeutic compounds, and by ensuring a controlled and durable release of the drug. Moreover, due to the special particularities of nanoparticles and complex nanosystems they can be efficiently utilized for skin tumor detection in a fast and secure manner, nanoparticles being able to penetrate and be detected even in the deepest layers of the skin.