Advancing clinical cancer care: Unveiling the power of surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy

Abstract

Tumors are characterized by abnormal cell growth, which leads to uncontrolled cell proliferation, invasion of surrounding tissues, and potential metastasis to other parts of the body. Current treatments for tumors include surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, targeted therapy, and biological therapy. However, many tumors are detected at advanced stages, limiting the effectiveness of these treatments. Therefore, there is a need to develop more sensitive and efficient techniques to improve patient survival rates. Surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) technology is a highly sensitive molecular detection and characterization technique. It can be combined with histomorphology, immunolabeling assays, and molecular hybridization to achieve quantitative diagnosis at morphological, molecular, and genetic levels. SERS offers advantages such as objectivity, reproducibility, and comparability. However, there are challenges to address, including complex substrate or probe preparation, cumbersome data analysis, and signal reproducibility and reliability. To fully utilize the potential of SERS in the biomedical field and for clinical translation, it is important to optimize the technology and develop more sensitive, accurate, and reliable substrate or probe preparation and analysis methods. This review aims to comprehensively explain the mechanism and unique advantages of SERS technology and discuss its current status, challenges, and prospects in tumor‐related research.

The application of Raman spectroscopy for the diagnosis and monitoring of lung tumors

“…SERS technology holds significant promise in the field of biomedical applications. Through continuous improvement and optimization of the SERS active matrix, probe design, and signal processing methods, the performance and application range of SERS technology can be further enhanced, providing a more accurate and efficient analytical means for cancer research and clinical environment ( Li et al, 2024 ).…”

“…Sequencing and analysis can yield significant insights into the genome of a tumor, thereby facilitating early detection of tumors, assessment of treatment efficacy, and provision of guidance for treatment selection. SERS is capable of effectively delineating the boundaries of tumors and (Li et al, 2024). Raman spectroscopy produces complex and large data that usually requires multivariate data analysis.…”