Nanomaterials for visualized tumor surgical navigation and postoperative recurrence inhibition

Preoperative localization of the tumor sites and intraoperative real-time monitoring are essential for precise surgery but are meanwhile challenging due to the lack of high-resolution, easy-to-operate, and fast visualization techniques. On the other hand, tumor recurrence and metastasis after surgery greatly reduce the survival rate of patients. Intervening tumor recurrence during surgery is a future direction of tumor treatment. Nanomaterials with external condition responsiveness (light, ultrasound, and magnetic field) can accurately assist intraoperative detection and surgical resection due to their functions such as tumor cell targeting, fluorescence imaging, and real time monitoring, providing a more accurate, shorter duration, and visualization method of surgical resection. Moreover, nanomaterials are versatile and can easily be tailored for application in different tumors. Locally filled or systemically circulating nanomaterials with slow drug release and residual tumor cell-targeting ability have promising applications in inhibiting tumor recurrence. Here, we review surgical navigation and postoperative recurrence interventional nanomaterials and their landscape in guiding tumor treatment. We summarize the classification and characteristics of these nanomaterials and discuss their application in the surgical navigation and recurrence inhibition of different tumors. We also provide an outlook on the challenges and future development of nanomaterials for visualized tumor surgical navigation and postoperative recurrence inhibition.