Table 5 Challenges and future perspectives in molecular imaging and targeted therapeutics for lymph node metastasis in cancer

Molecular imaging

- Limited sensitivity and specificity in detecting early lymph node metastasis

- Difficulty in distinguishing between reactive and metastatic lymph nodes

- High costs and limited availability of advanced imaging techniques

- Development of more sensitive and specific imaging agents

- Integration of AI and machine learning for better image analysis

- Wider accessibility and affordability of advanced imaging modalities

[420]

Targeted therapeutics

- Resistance to current therapies

- Lack of specificity, leading to systemic toxicity

- Difficulty in delivering therapeutic agents specifically to lymph nodes

- Research into more effective and specific therapeutic agents

- Development of nanotechnology-based delivery systems for targeted therapy

- Personalized medicine approaches based on genetic profiling of tumors

[421]

Diagnostic methods

- Invasive nature of current diagnostic methods like lymph node biopsy

- Risk of false negatives in early-stage metastasis

- Non-invasive diagnostic tools with higher accuracy

- Liquid biopsy techniques for early detection and monitoring

[422]

Clinical trials

- Ethical and logistical challenges in conducting trials

- Difficulty in recruiting a sufficient number of participants

- More international collaboration for larger, more diverse clinical trials

- Use of real-world data to supplement trial findings

[423]

Regulatory approvals

- Stringent regulatory requirements for new diagnostics and therapeutics

- Long approval times delaying access to new treatments

- Streamlining regulatory processes

- Adaptive trial designs to speed up the approval of promising therapies

[323]