It is widely acknowledged that gold-based materials are of significant interest in the field of biomedicine. Consequently, considerable efforts have been devoted to identifying gold nanoparticles that exhibit effective performance in tumor diagnosis and treatment. However, the underlying reasons for the enhanced efficacy of these gold-based nanomaterials in cancer therapy and diagnosis remain unclear, primarily due to a lack of in-depth understanding of the mechanisms involved. Therefore, it is essential to summarize progress in the field to facilitate the rational design of more efficient nanodevices. In this review, we present recent achievements drawn from the latest research to demonstrate the broad applications of gold-based materials. We begin by illustrating the mechanisms of gold-derived nanoparticles during therapeutic and diagnostic processes, including photothermal therapy, photodynamic therapy, sonodynamic therapy, photoacoustic tomography, fluorescence imaging, and X-ray computed tomography. We then summarize the advancements of gold-based nanomaterials in cancer diagnosis and treatment, while also analyzing the factors contributing to their enhanced performance. Finally, we highlight key descriptors for evaluating efficacy and strategies for designing high-performance nanomaterials. This review aims to pave the way for addressing future challenges and outlines directions for the advancement of gold-based biomedicine

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