Paper-based plasmonic platform for sensitive, noninvasive, and rapid cancer screening

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) fingerprints of individual molecules offer the possibility of multiplexing as well as cancer screening. A highly sensitive, noninvasive, and rapid cancer screening platform encompassing exfoliative cytology and paper-based SERS technology is described. The SERS substrate which consists of plasmonic gold nanorods (GNRs) adsorbed on a piece of filter paper forms the flexible and three-dimensional heterogeneous scaffold for cancer screening. Different and reproducible SERS spectra are obtained from normal and cancerous cells due to specific biomolecular changes in cancerous cells. A diagnostic algorithm based on the ratio of the spectra values is adopted to distinguish between cells exfoliated from 20 normal and cancerous tissues, and a high sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 100% are achieved by I1600/1440 (peak ratio of signals at 1600–1440cm−1) and I1440/1340 (1440–1340cm−1), which is better than I1600/1340 (1600–1340cm−1) with a sensitivity of 70% and specificity of 60%. The combination of exfoliative cytology and paper-based plasmonic technology enables highly sensitive, rapid, and non-invasive cancer screening and has large clinical potential. •This cancer screening is non-invasive, convenient and rapid with automated analysis.•The paper-based SERS substrate is economical, flexible, storable, biodegradable, and easily fabricated.•High specificity and sensitivity can be achieved and only small sample volumes are required.•This strategy can guarantee the safety and serve as a supplementary means for diagnosis of all cancers.