Emerging Role Of Phytochemicals In Cancer Therapy: Mechanism And Clinical Perspectives

Abstract

Cancer continues to be a major global health burden, with conventional therapeutic strategies such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and targeted therapies often limited by issues of toxicity, resistance, and recurrence. This has stimulated growing interest in alternative and complementary approaches, particularly the use of phytochemicals—naturally occurring bioactive compounds derived from plants. Phytochemicals possess diverse pharmacological properties and have been shown to modulate multiple cellular and molecular pathways involved in carcinogenesis. Their anticancer activity is mediated through mechanisms such as the suppression of oxidative stress, induction of apoptosis, regulation of the cell cycle, inhibition of angiogenesis and metastasis, and modulation of signaling cascades including NF-κB, MAPK, and PI3K/Akt pathways. Prominent phytochemicals such as curcumin, resveratrol, quercetin, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), and fisetin have demonstrated promising results in both preclinical and clinical studies. Despite these advances, challenges such as poor bioavailability, rapid metabolism, and lack of large-scale clinical trials hinder their clinical translation. Emerging strategies, including nanotechnology-based delivery systems and phytochemical-drug combinations, offer promising avenues to overcome these limitations. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the molecular mechanisms underlying the anticancer effects of phytochemicals, evaluates their current clinical perspectives, and highlights future directions for their effective integration into modern cancer therapy.