Surface‐Enhanced Raman Scattering‐Based Multimodal Medical Imaging in Cancer Diagnosis and Therapy Monitoring

Abstract

Surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) has emerged as a highly sensitive and specific technique for tumor imaging, owing to its narrow spectral features, resistance to photobleaching, and capability for multiplexed detection. However, its clinical translation remains limited by poor tissue penetration and the absence of intrinsic anatomical localization. To address these limitations, SERS has increasingly been integrated with established imaging modalities, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), and photoacoustic imaging (PAI), enabling the combination of molecular specificity with anatomical and functional guidance. This review summarizes recent advances in multimodal probe design for SERS–MRI, SERS–CT, and SERS–PAI systems, with an emphasis on structural engineering strategies and material selection principles. It further highlights their applications in early cancer detection, tumor staging, micrometastasis identification, intraoperative navigation and margin assessment, and real‐time monitoring of therapeutic response. SERS‐based multimodal imaging integrates molecular specificity with the complementary anatomical and functional capabilities of established imaging modalities, offering a strategy that may enhance diagnostic precision and therapeutic guidance in oncology.