ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the application of gold nanorods for cancer diagnostics and photothermal therapy. The optical properties of gold nanorods are summarized at the beginning, including optical absorption and scattering properties, plasmonic field enhancement, and photothermal properties. Cancer diagnostic approaches cover light scattering cancer imaging, surface plasmon resonance detection, and surface-enhanced Raman scattering detection. Photothermal therapy includes both in vitro and in vivo studies, followed by combination therapy with chemotherapy and photodynamic therapy. At the end, biodistribution of gold nanorods with and without targeting ligands is described.
