Nanotheranostics in cancer lymph node metastasis: The long road ahead

Lymph node metastasis (LNM) significantly impacts the prognosis of cancer patients. Despite significant advancements in diagnostic techniques and treatment modalities, clinical challenges continue to persist in the realm of LNM. These include difficulties in early diagnosis, limited treatment efficacy, and potential side effects and injuries associated with treatment. Nanotheranostics, a field within nanotechnology, seamlessly integrates diagnostic and therapeutic functionalities. Its primary goal is to provide precise and effective disease diagnosis and treatment simultaneously. The development of nanotheranostics for LNM offers a promising solution for the stratified management of patients with LNM and promotes the advancement of personalized medicine. This review introduces the mechanisms of LNM and challenges in its diagnosis and treatment. Furthermore, it demonstrates the advantages and development potential of nanotheranostics, focuses on the challenges nanotheranostics face in its application, and provides an outlook on future trends. We consider nanotheranostics a promising strategy to improve clinical effectiveness and efficiency as well as the prognosis of cancer patients with LNM.