What is the future of magnetic nanoparticles in the axillary management of breast cancer?

Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) possess unique properties, which make them highly attractive for medical applications. The use of MNPs in surgery has mainly been focused on their role in the identification of metastatic lymph node involvement. There have been developments within this field, including ongoing and newly conducted clinical trials. The current published evidence for the use of MNPs in assessing metastatic lymph node spread using sentinel lymph node biopsy and non-invasive imaging modalities is reviewed and future applications considered.