The progress in medical research has led to the understanding that cancer is a large group of heterogeneous diseases, with high variability between and within individuals. This variability sprouted the ambitious goal to improve therapeutic outcomes, while minimizing drug adverse effects through stratification of patients by the differences in their disease markers, in a personalized manner, as opposed to the strategy of “one therapy fits all”. Nanotheranostics, composed of nanoparticles (NPs) carrying therapeutic and/or diagnostics probes, have the potential to revolutionize personalized medicine. There are different modalities to combine these two distinct fields into one system for a synergistic outcome. The addition of a nanocarrier to a theranostic system holds great promise. Nanocarriers possess high surface area, enabling sophisticated functionalization with imaging agents, thus gaining enhanced diagnostic ability in real-time. Yet, most of the FDA-approved theranostic approaches are based on small molecules. The theranostic approaches that are reviewed herein are paving the road towards personalized medicine through all stages of patient care: starting from screening and diagnostics, proceeding to treatment and ending with treatment follow-up. Our current review provides a broad background and highlights new insights for the rational design of theranostic nanosystems for desired therapeutic niches, while summoning the hurdles on their way to become first-line diagnostics and therapeutics for cancer patients.

医学研究的进展使人们认识到，癌症是一大类异质性疾病，个体之间和个体内部差异很大。这种变异性提出了一个雄心勃勃的目标，即改善治疗效果，同时通过以个性化的方式根据患者的疾病标志物的差异对患者进行分层来最大程度地减少药物不良反应，而不是“一种疗法适合所有人”的策略。由携带治疗和/或诊断探针的纳米粒子（NP）组成的纳米治疗学，有可能改变个性化医学的潜力。有两种不同的方式可以将这两个不同的领域组合到一个系统中，以产生协同增效的结果。将纳米载体添加到治疗诊断系统中具有广阔的前景。纳米载体具有高表面积，借助成像剂实现复杂的功能化，从而实时增强诊断能力。但是，大多数FDA批准的治疗方法均基于小分子。本文所述的治疗方法正在为患者护理的所有阶段铺平通往个性化医学的道路：从筛查和诊断开始，进行治疗，最后进行治疗随访。我们当前的综述提供了广阔的背景，并突出了针对合理的治疗壁ches合理设计治疗纳米系统的新见解，同时也唤起了成为癌症患者一线诊断和治疗方法的障碍。大多数FDA批准的治疗方法均基于小分子。本文所述的治疗方法正在为患者护理的所有阶段铺平通往个性化医学的道路：从筛查和诊断开始，进行治疗，最后进行治疗随访。我们当前的综述提供了广阔的背景，并突出了针对合理的治疗壁ches合理设计治疗纳米系统的新见解，同时也唤起了成为癌症患者一线诊断和治疗方法的障碍。大多数FDA批准的治疗方法均基于小分子。本文所述的治疗方法正在为患者护理的所有阶段铺平通往个性化医学的道路：从筛查和诊断开始，进行治疗，最后进行治疗随访。我们当前的综述提供了广阔的背景，并突出了针对合理的治疗壁ches合理设计治疗纳米系统的新见解，同时也唤起了成为癌症患者一线诊断和治疗方法的障碍。