Nanoparticles targeting breast cancer cell during radiotherapy.

Nanoparticles and Breast Cancer: A Revolutionary Approach to Radiotherapy

Samir D’Costa in Health & Wellness December 2025 • 3 min read.

"Explore how gold and other nanoparticles are enhancing radiotherapy for breast cancer, offering hope for more effective and less toxic treatments."

Breast cancer remains a significant health challenge worldwide, ranking as one of the most common malignancies among women. In 2012, the estimated incidence rate was 123.2 per 100,000, with a mortality rate of 30.9 per 100,000. Treating breast cancer requires a coordinated, multidisciplinary approach, including surgeons, clinical oncologists, and radiation oncologists.

Radiation oncology has evolved, with trends favoring breast-conserving surgery and evidence-based practices that improve disease control and cosmetic outcomes. This evolution has solidified radiation therapy as a cost-effective cornerstone of treatment.

A primary goal in radiotherapy is enhancing radiation delivery while minimizing harm to healthy tissue. Advances in technology have improved toxicity profiles in organs like the skin, lungs, and heart. However, making radiation more effective while sparing healthy tissue remains a challenge.

How Do Nanoparticles Boost Radiotherapy's Effectiveness?

Nanoparticles targeting breast cancer cell during radiotherapy.

Researchers have been exploring the use of metal nanoparticles, particularly gold, to amplify the radiation response within tumors. This approach aims to deliver a more potent dose of radiation to cancer cells while reducing the impact on surrounding healthy tissue. Though clinical data is still emerging, preclinical studies offer promising insights.

A dosimetric study by Cho et al. suggested that incorporating gold nanoparticles (AuNP) with Ir192 brachytherapy could increase the treatment dose by 40% due to gold's high atomic number and increased photoelectric absorption. The benefit may be limited in megavoltage (MV) treatments, where the Compton Effect is predominant.

Gold Nanoparticles (AuNP): The most studied material, showing promise in enhancing radiation effects due to its high atomic number.
Silver Nanoparticles (AgNP): Some studies suggest they may have better interactions with MV radiation, triggering pair production.
Bismuth-Based Particles: Developed and tested in murine breast cancer models, showing good clinical results without significant toxicity.

Other research compares AuNP to cisplatin, a common chemotherapy drug, both of which act as radiosensitizers. Zheng et al. found that combining AuNP and cisplatin with radiation increased DNA double-strand breaks by 7.5 times, compared to a 3-fold increase with a single sensitizer.

The Future of Nanoparticle-Enhanced Radiotherapy

The use of nanoparticles as radiosensitizers holds significant promise for future cancer treatments. As ongoing research matures, it will be crucial to determine whether these enhancements can lead to dose reductions in radiotherapy without compromising treatment outcomes. Clinical data will ultimately reveal the full potential of this innovative approach.

About this Article -

This article was crafted using a human-AI hybrid and collaborative approach. AI assisted our team with initial drafting, research insights, identifying key questions, and image generation. Our human editors guided topic selection, defined the angle, structured the content, ensured factual accuracy and relevance, refined the tone, and conducted thorough editing to deliver helpful, high-quality information.See our About page for more information.

This article is based on research published under:

DOI-LINK: 10.1016/j.rpor.2018.10.003, Alternate LINK

Title: Enhancing Radiotherapy Effect In Breast Cancer With Nanoparticles: A Review

Subject: Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and imaging

Journal: Reports of Practical Oncology & Radiotherapy

Publisher: VM Media SP. zo.o VM Group SK

Authors: Gustavo R. Sarria, Miguel Ángel Berenguer Francés, Isabel Linares Galiana

Published: 2019-01-01

Everything You Need To Know

How do Gold Nanoparticles (AuNP) enhance radiotherapy for breast cancer?

Gold Nanoparticles (AuNP) enhance radiotherapy by amplifying the radiation response within the tumor. Because of gold's high atomic number, it increases photoelectric absorption, allowing for a more potent dose of radiation to be delivered to cancer cells. Studies have shown that incorporating Gold Nanoparticles (AuNP) with radiotherapy can increase the treatment dose, potentially leading to improved outcomes while minimizing harm to healthy tissue. This is because the nanoparticles concentrate in the tumor, maximizing the radiation effect where it is needed most.

What are the potential benefits of using nanoparticles in breast cancer treatment?

The primary benefit of using nanoparticles, such as Gold Nanoparticles (AuNP), Silver Nanoparticles (AgNP), and Bismuth-Based Particles, is to enhance the effectiveness of radiotherapy while reducing the harm to healthy tissue. By acting as radiosensitizers, these nanoparticles amplify the radiation's effect on cancer cells. This approach could potentially lead to dose reductions in radiotherapy without compromising treatment outcomes, offering a more targeted and less toxic approach to cancer treatment. The use of Bismuth-Based Particles has shown good clinical results without significant toxicity.

How do Silver Nanoparticles (AgNP) compare to Gold Nanoparticles (AuNP) in radiotherapy?

Silver Nanoparticles (AgNP) are being investigated for their potential in radiotherapy, particularly for their interaction with megavoltage (MV) radiation. While Gold Nanoparticles (AuNP) are the most studied, Silver Nanoparticles (AgNP) may trigger pair production, which is a different mechanism that can enhance radiation effects. Further research is needed to determine the specific advantages and effectiveness of Silver Nanoparticles (AgNP) compared to Gold Nanoparticles (AuNP) in enhancing radiotherapy.

What is the role of Bismuth-Based Particles in breast cancer treatment?

Bismuth-Based Particles have shown promising results in preclinical studies using murine breast cancer models. These particles have demonstrated the ability to enhance the effects of radiotherapy without causing significant toxicity. This suggests that Bismuth-Based Particles could be a viable and safe alternative to other nanoparticles, such as Gold Nanoparticles (AuNP) or Silver Nanoparticles (AgNP). The potential of Bismuth-Based Particles underlines the diversity of materials being explored to improve cancer treatment outcomes.

How does the combination of Gold Nanoparticles (AuNP) and chemotherapy compare to using a single radiosensitizer?

The combination of Gold Nanoparticles (AuNP) and chemotherapy, such as cisplatin, has shown a significant increase in treatment effectiveness compared to using a single radiosensitizer. Research has indicated that combining Gold Nanoparticles (AuNP) and cisplatin with radiation can lead to a substantial increase in DNA double-strand breaks in cancer cells. This suggests a synergistic effect, where the combined approach amplifies the radiation’s impact, potentially leading to more effective cancer cell destruction. Zheng et al. found that the combination of AuNP and cisplatin with radiation increased DNA double-strand breaks by 7.5 times, compared to a 3-fold increase with a single sensitizer.