Table 5.

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

Aspect	Challenges	Future Perspectives	Refs.
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]