Phototherapeutic agent-based
phototherapies activated by light have proven to be safe modalities for the treatment of various malignant
tumor indications. The two main modalities of
phototherapies include
photothermal therapy, which causes localized thermal damage to target lesions, and
photodynamic therapy, which causes localized chemical damage by generated
reactive oxygen species (ROS). Conventional
phototherapies suffer a major shortcoming in their clinical application due to their
phototoxicity, which primarily arises from the uncontrolled distribution of phototherapeutic agents in vivo. For successful antitumor
phototherapy, it is essential to ensure the generation of heat or ROS specifically occurs at the
tumor site. To minimize the reverse side effects of
phototherapy while improving its therapeutic performance, extensive research has focused on developing
hydrogel-based
phototherapy for
tumor treatment. The utilization of
hydrogels as
drug carriers allows for the sustained delivery of phototherapeutic agents to
tumor sites, thereby limiting their adverse effects. Herein, we summarize the recent advancements in the design of
hydrogels for antitumor
phototherapy, offer a comprehensive overview of the latest advances in
hydrogel-based
phototherapy and its combination with other therapeutic modalities for
tumor treatment, and discuss the current clinical status of
hydrogel-based antitumor
phototherapy.