Hydrophilic flower-like CuS superstructures synthesized by a hydrothermal route can serve as an efficient 980 nm laser-driven photothermal agent for ablation of cancer cells, because the CuS superstructures exhibit greatly enhanced photothermal effects upon irradiation by a 980 nm laser. This finding demonstrates the great potential application of the CuS superstructures in the photothermal ablation of in vivo tumor tissues.