Cancer imaging methods and cancer treatment methods using thermotherapy and drug delivery

A cancer treatment method using ultrasound energy for targeted drug delivery, the method comprising the steps of:

• administering a plurality of nanocarriers to a patient in need thereof so as to target a tumor in the patient, the administered nanocarriers containing an anti-tumor medication;
• and
• exciting the nanocarriers in a first non-thermal ultrasound mode and/or a second thermal ultrasound mode using an ultrasound source that generates a non-thermal ultrasonic wave and/or a thermal ultrasonic wave so as to release the anti-tumor medication from one or more of the plurality of nanocarriers at a site of the tumor;
• wherein the ultrasound source is a therapeutic ultrasound transducer;
• and
• wherein the step of exciting the nanocarriers further comprises exciting the nanocarriers using the therapeutic ultrasound transducer in the first non-thermal ultrasound mode, the therapeutic ultrasound transducer emitting pulsed high intensity focused ultrasound (pHIFU) for mechanical excitation of the plurality of nanocarriers in the first non-thermal ultrasound mode so as to release the anti-tumor medication from the nanocarriers by rupturing membranes of the nanocarriers and/or peeling a polymer coating off the nanocarriers.