The recent developments of nuclear medicine in oncology have involved numerous investigations of novel specific
tumor-targeting
radiopharmaceuticals as a major area of interest for both
cancer imaging and
therapy. The current progress in pharmaceutical nanotechnology field has been exploited in the design of
tumor-targeting nanoscale and microscale carriers being able to deliver
radionuclides in a selective manner to improve the outcome of
cancer diagnosis and treatment. These carriers include chiefly, among others,
liposomes, microparticles, nanoparticles,
micelles,
dendrimers and
hydrogels. Furthermore, combining the more recent nuclear imaging multimodalities which provide high sensitivity and anatomical resolution such as PET/CT (positron emission tomography/computed tomography) and SPECT/CT (combined single photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography system) with the use of these specific
tumor-targeting carriers constitutes a promising rally which will, hopefully in the near future, allow for earlier
tumor detection, better treatment planning and more powerful
therapy. In this review, we highlight the use, limitations, advantages and possible improvements of different nano- and microcarriers as potential vehicles for
radionuclides delivery in
cancer nuclear imaging and
radiotherapy.