Pancreatic cancer, one of the most lethal cancers in the world, has been increasing in incidence and mortality year by year, and the overall prognosis of patients is poor. Early detection and effective treatment are crucial for improving the prognosis and survival rates of pancreatic cancer patients. Unlike traditional imaging, emerging molecular imaging can visualize the abnormalities at the molecular or cellular level in the process of tumor development. At present, multimodality molecular imaging that integrates multiple imaging methods to achieve complementary advantages and multifunctional nanoplatforms with integrated diagnosis and treatment functions have become research hotspots in the field of molecular imaging. Remarkable progress has been made in preclinical research concerning magnetic-optical multimodality molecular imaging probes and their derived multifunctional nanoplatforms, which provides new ideas for early detection, accurate treatment and efficacy evaluation of pancreatic cancer.