Cancer has emerged as one of the world's most concerning health problems. The progression and
metastasis mechanisms of
cancer are complex, including metabolic disorders, oxidative stress,
inflammation, apoptosis, and intestinal microflora disorders. These pose significant challenges to our efforts to prevent and treat
cancer and its
metastasis. Natural drugs have a long history of use in the prevention and treatment of
cancer. Many effective anti-
tumor drugs, such as
Paclitaxel,
Vincristine, and
Camptothecin, have been widely prescribed for the prevention and treatment of
cancer. In recent years, a trend in the field of
antitumor drug development has been to screen the active antitumor ingredients from natural drugs and conduct in-depth studies on the mechanisms of their antitumor activity. In this review, high-frequency keywords included in the literature of several common Chinese and English databases were analyzed. The results showed that five Chinese
herbal medicines (Radix Salviae, Panax Ginseng C. A. Mey, Hedysarum Multijugum Maxim, Ganoderma, and Curcumaelongae Rhizoma) and three natural compounds (
quercetin,
luteolin, and
kaempferol) were most commonly used for the prevention and treatment of
cancer and
cancer metastasis. The main mechanisms of action of these active compounds in
tumor-related research were summarized. Finally, we found that four natural compounds (dihydrotanshinone,
sclareol,
isoimperatorin, and
girinimbin) have recently attracted the most attention in the field of anti-
cancer research. Our findings provide some inspiration for future research on natural compounds against
tumors and new insights into the role and mechanisms of natural compounds in the prevention and treatment of
cancer and
cancer metastasis.