Role of Herbal Medicines in Management of Cancer

Abstract

Cancer remains a major global health burden with increasing incidence and mortality worldwide. Despite advances in conventional treatment modalities such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery, cancer management continues to be challenged by treatment-related toxicity, reduced quality of life, and disease recurrence. This has led to growing interest in complementary and alternative systems of medicine, particularly herbal and natural compounds, for supportive and integrative cancer care. Natural products derived from plants, animals, and microorganisms have long been used for cancer prevention and therapy and form the basis of several modern anticancer drugs. These compounds exert anticancer effects through multiple mechanisms, including antioxidant activity, induction of apoptosis, inhibition of inflammation and angiogenesis, modulation of detoxification enzymes, and regulation of key molecular signaling pathways. The present review discusses the global burden of cancer, the limitations of conventional therapies, and the role of herbal medicines and natural compounds in cancer prevention and treatment, with emphasis on their mechanisms of action and evidence from experimental and clinical studies.