Photothermal therapy (PTT) is a promising alternative therapy for benign or even malignant tumors. To improve the selective heating of tumor cells, target-specific photothermal conversion agents are often included, especially nanoparticles. Meanwhile, some indirect methods by manipulating the radiation and heat delivery are also adopted. Therefore, to gain a clear understanding of the mechanism, and to improve the controllability of PTT, a few issues need to be clarified, including bioheat and radiation transfer, localized and collective heating of nanoparticles, etc. In this review, we provide an introduction to the typical bioheat transfer and radiation transfer models along with the dynamic thermophysical properties of biological tissue. On this basis, we reviewed the most recent advances in the temperature control methods in PTT from macroscale to nanoscale. Most importantly, a comprehensive introduction of the localized and collective heating effects of nanoparticle clusters is provided to give a clear insight into the mechanism for PPT from the microscale and nanoscale point of view.

光热疗法（PTT）是良性甚至恶性肿瘤的一种有前途的替代疗法。为了提高对肿瘤细胞的选择性加热，通常包括目标特异性光热转化剂，尤其是纳米颗粒。同时，还采用了一些间接控制辐射和热量传递的方法。因此，为了更清楚地了解机理，提高 PTT 的可控性，需要澄清一些问题，包括生物热和辐射传递、纳米粒子的局部和集体加热等。在这篇综述中，我们提供了一个介绍典型的生物热传递和辐射传递模型以及生物组织的动态热物理特性。以这个为基础，我们回顾了从宏观尺度到纳米尺度的 PTT 温度控制方法的最新进展。最重要的是，全面介绍了纳米粒子簇的局部和集体加热效应，以便从微米级和纳米级的角度清楚地了解 PPT 的机制。