Triple-negative breast cancers (TNBCs) are defined by a lack of expression of estrogen, progesterone, and HER2 receptors. Because of the absence of identified targets and targeted therapies, and due to a heterogeneous molecular presentation, treatment guidelines for patients with TNBC include only conventional chemotherapy. Such treatment, while effective for some, leaves others with high rates of early relapse and is not curative for any patient with metastatic disease. Here, we demonstrate that these tumors are sensitive to the heat shock protein 90 (

The inability to visualize the true extent of cancers represents a significant challenge in many areas of oncology. The margins of most cancer types are not well demarcated because the cancer diffusely infiltrates the surrounding tissues. Furthermore, cancers may be multifocal and characterized by the presence of microscopic satellite lesions. Such microscopic foci represent a major reason for persistence of cancer, local recurrences, and metastatic spread and are usually impossible to visualize with currently available imaging technologies. An imaging method to reveal the tumor extent is desired clinically and surgically. Here we show the precise visualization of tumor margins, microscopic tumor invasion, and multifocal loco-regional tumor spread using a new generation of surface-enhanced resonance Raman scattering (SERRS) nanoparticles, which are termed here SERRS-nanostars. The SERRS-nanostars feature a star-shaped gold core, a Raman reporter resonant in the near-infrared spectrum, and a primer-free silication method. In mouse models of pancreatic cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, and sarcoma, SERRS-nanostars enabled accurate detection of macroscopic malignant lesions as well as microscopic disease, without the need for a targeting moiety. Moreover, the sensitivity (1.5 femtomolar limit of detection under in vivo Raman imaging conditions) of SERRS-nanostars allowed imaging of premalignant lesions of pancreatic and prostatic neoplasias. High sensitivity and broad applicability, in conjunction with their inert gold-silica composition, render SERRS-nanostars a promising imaging agent for more precise cancer imaging and resection.