Nanomaterial based analytical methods for breast cancer biomarker detection

Female breast cancer is the leading cause of global cancer incidence and the fifth leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide in 2020. Breast cancer can be categorized into different subtypes according to the expression of biomarkers such as estrogen receptors (ER), progesterone receptors (PR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). The analysis of these biomarkers is also indispensable for systemic treatment decisions in breast cancer. In this review, we summarized recent progress for the detection of breast cancer biomarkers in blood utilizing nanomaterials. The attractive physical, chemical, optical and electronic properties of various nanomaterials facilitated the detection of these biomarkers and improved the performance of the detection. The detection of biomarkers in blood is relatively non-invasive and can provide useful biological information that is complementary to imaging examination and immunohistochemistry.