Phase-change nanoparticle

Apparatus for use with a subject suffering from cancer, a body of the subject containing cancerous cells and non-cancerous cells, and for use with a heating device configured to heat at least a portion of the subject's body, the apparatus comprising:

• a nanoparticle comprising:
• an inner core that comprises a phase-change material that is configured to absorb latent heat of fusion by undergoing a phase change selected from the group consisting of:
• solid to liquid, and gel to liquid, the phase-change occurring at a phase-change temperature of between 42° C. and 80° C.;
• an outer layer disposed around the inner core, the outer layer comprising:
• a plurality of nano-spheres of at least one metal;
• and
• a plurality of molecules of a substance that binds preferentially with cancerous cells relative to non-cancerous cells,
• the nanoparticle having a volume of at least 65,000 nm3,
• the nanoparticle being elongatable into an ellipsoid, such that when the nanoparticle is maximally elongated:
• each of the semi-axes defined by the ellipsoid is greater than 5 nm, and
• at least two of the semi axes of the ellipsoid are less than 30 nm.