Effect of anti-cancer drug doxorubicin on the optical properties of indocyanine green

Abstract

Cancer is an ancient disease, originally known to be described in various papyri dating back to the early 1500 BC. The Edwin Smith Papyrus is an ancient Egyptian medical document that describes cancer as well as a cauterization process for removing breast tumors, sarcastically remarking that the disease had no therapy. With time, the disease has now become a global concern and according to Global cancer statistics, around 19.3 million new cases of cancer have been estimated in 20201,2 . Cancer management is difficult owing to its numerous causes and random progressive patterns. According to the World Health Organization factsheet for the year 2020, every one out of six diseased death was due to cancer1–3 . Early diagnosis of the disease can significantly reduce this burden by initiating early therapy. However, cancer therapy is challenging due to the unpredictability of the molecular modification of the pathways along with its advancement. Some treatments, like surgery, radiation, chemotherapy (chemo), immunotherapy, and hormonal therapy have been developed over time and shown positive outcomes in the treatment of the disease. However, their effectiveness falls back because of multiple drug resistance, toxicity, relapsing, and so forth.