Advances in point-of-care diagnostic devices in cancers

Abstract

The early diagnosis and monitoring of the progress of cancers are limited due to the lack of adequate screening tools. Ultrasensitive and precise point-of-care cancer diagnostic tools are required for the early detection and screening of cancer biomarkers at the bedside with accuracy and specificity of diagnosis. Recent advances in nano- and microfabrication based technologies integrated with different sensing platforms are accelerating the development of rapid, low-cost and reliable point-of-care cancer diagnostic devices. These technologies allow low volumes of reagents and samples, reduced analysis time, are disposable and portable, and provide ultrasensitive multiplexed analysis to improve diagnostic and prognostic evaluations. Networking for communicating and transferring the results through wireless networks provides additional opportunities for remote telemedicine-based diagnosis and planning of treatment regimens, even in semi-urban and rural areas. This review focuses on recent advances in point-of-care cancer diagnostics for efficient treatment along with the key challenges, opportunities and future scope of these technologies for clinical translation.