Cervical cancer is the most common gynecologic
malignancy worldwide and development of new therapeutic strategies and
anticancer agents is an urgent priority. Plants have remained an important source in the search for novel cytotoxic compounds and several polyphenolic
flavonoids possess antitumor properties. In this review article, data about potential anticarcinogenic activity of common natural
flavonoids on various human
cervical cancer cell lines are compiled and analyzed showing perspectives for the use of these secondary metabolites in the treatment of cervical
carcinoma as well as in the development of novel chemotherapeutic drugs. Such anticancer effects of
flavonoids seem to differentially depend on the cellular type and origin of cervical
carcinoma creating possibilities for specific targeting in the future. Besides the cytotoxic activity per se, several
flavonoids can also contribute to the increase in efficacy of conventional
therapies rendering
tumor cells more sensitive to standard chemotherapeutics and irradiation. Although the current knowledge is still rather scarce and further studies are certainly needed, it is clear that natural
flavonoids may have a great potential to benefit
cervical cancer patients.