ABSTRACT
Nanomedicines have revolutionized the oncological treatment scenario since the first medicines were approved and entered clinical practice, being key players in the therapeutic schemes. This chapter focuses on the role of nanomedicines in cancer treatment and the state of the art of marketed and under-development medicines. It describes the importance of targeting therapy and personalized medicine and the difficulties observed in the translation of these therapies from research to clinic. Due to the problem of cancer resistance and recurrence the targeting of cancer stem cell (CSC) subpopulations is a major concern. Even though long circulation times favor the extravasation of nanomedicines at the tumor site, it is nonetheless necessary to actively target CSCs to improve efficacy. In 2013, the majority of total biopharmaceuticals under development were intended to treat cancer and related diseases, most of these based on monoclonal antibodies and a few on gene therapy.
