Effectiveness of Nanotechnology for Drugs in Patients with Cancer: Integrative Literature Review

Abstract

Introduction: Nanotechnology consists of the control and manipulation of matter at atomic and molecular level, allowing the development of devices, materials, and systems with properties different from those observed in the micro or macroscopic scale. Objective: Verify scientific evidence about the effectiveness of drugs in patients with cancer utilizing nanotechnology. Method: Integrative review of the literature. The search for articles was carried out in the databases MEDLINE (PubMed), LILACS, SciELO, Scopus, Web of Science e BVS. There was no restriction of location, period, and language. For the selection of the studies, the combination based on the Medical Subject Heading Terms (MeSH) was used. Studies that scored ≥ 6 points according to the qualitative scoring protocol proposed. Results: 216 articles were found, and after the elimination of duplicates, 208 remained. The titles and abstracts were analyzed, and 205 papers were excluded because they were not within the scope of the proposed study. Three articles of the type clinical trial were admitted for the final analysis. The nano complexes showed efficiency in the samples presented, being effective when the objective was to delay the progression of certain types of cancers. Conclusion: Medications with nanoparticles used in the studies showed good adherence by the patients, in addition to effectiveness in the treatment of specific cancers. However, additional studies are needed to explore the activity of these drugs.