A Review of Aptamer-Based Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) Platforms for Cancer Diagnosis Applications

Traditional cancer detection methods have many drawbacks despite the fact that early cancer diagnosis is crucial for efficient treatment and improved patient outcomes. Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) and aptamer-based biosensors have emerged as potential solutions to these problems. Aptamer-based SERS biosensors provide rapid, sensitive, non-invasive early cancer diagnosis by detecting cancer biomarkers at very low concentrations. This review examines the significant studies that have produced aptamer-based SERS systems for the early detection of various cancers. The review starts with an exhaustive examination of the literature, showcasing the significant findings in a tabular format. The advantages of this approach are then discussed, including how versatile it is in dealing with a range of compounds that are particular to cancer, and some directions for further study are suggested. The research demonstrates how aptamer-based SERS biosensors might revolutionize early cancer detection, enhance therapeutic outcomes, and reduce healthcare costs.