Cancer is one of the leading causes of death globally. Several studies, efforts and treatment strategies have been put forth for the treatment of different types of cancers. Several chemotherapeutic agents have been discovered and utilized for the treatment of various types of
cancers and tumors, which play an important role in improving the quality of life of patients. The key problems associated with the abovementioned chemotherapeutic agents are the limited target ability and non-selective toxicity. The current review focuses on the achievement of improved targeting of anticancer agents at the tumor microenvironment without affecting normal tissues. The fulfilment of
the mentioned objectives by stimuli-responsive drug delivery systems, as physical stimuli-responsive
drug delivery systems and chemical stimuli-responsive drug delivery systems through active and passive targeting have extensively been discussed in the current review. The current review will help the wide community of researchers conducting research in targeted drug delivery systems and anticancer treatment strategies.