Emerging innovations in cold plasma therapy against cancer: A paradigm shift

•Plasma oncology is an emerging field in treatment of diseases including cancer.•Plasma has wide applications in biomedical, food and agriculture fields.•Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) is a selective and cell-specific antitumor modality.•FDA approval of the first trial for use of CAP in cancer therapy came in 2019.•CAP can also be used synergistically with conventional therapy against cancers. Cancer is one of the major causes of mortality, accounting for ∼ 9.5 million deaths globally in 2018. The spectrum of conventional treatment for cancer includes surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Recently, cold plasma therapy surfaced as a novel technique in the treatment of cancer. The FDA approval of the first trial for the use of cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) in cancer therapy in 2019 is evidence of this. This review highlights the mechanisms of action of CAP. Additionally, its applications in anticancer therapy have been reviewed. In summary, this article will introduce the readers to the exciting field of plasma oncology and help them understand the current status and prospects of plasma oncology.