Emergence of novel targeting systems and conventional therapies for effective cancer treatment

Abstract As per the World Health Organization report (2018), cancer is one of the deadliest diseases in the world. Approximately, the second highest mortality is caused due to cancer. The uncontrolled growth and metastasis of abnormal cells are known as cancer. Currently, for the interdict of the rapid production of cancer cells, surgery, chemo-, or radiotherapy has a major contribution, but these conventional therapies are associated with various drawbacks such as normal tissue damage, poor aqueous solubility of bioactive(s), lack of selectivity, multidrug resistance, low bioavailability, toxicity, and side effects. For these limitations, numerous polymer or lipid-based novel drug delivery systems, that is, nanoparticles, liposomes, polymeric nanoparticles, solid lipid nanoparticles, etc., are discussed here, which are site-specific, and deliver the drug in a controlled and targeted manner. This chapter includes different novel drug delivery systems that have shown effective results over conventional therapies.