Anti-tumor activities and mechanisms of Traditional Chinese medicines formulas: A review

Cancer, the leading cause of death in the world nowadays, is a major public health problem. The therapeutic efficacy of cancer is still unsatisfactory despite the development of various treatments. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formulas are a vital therapeutic strategy and new treatment approach for cancer, as they exhibit prospective antitumor potential with multiple targets, multiple signaling pathways and less side effects. In this review, the anticancer functions of a variety of TCM formulas are introduced. The antitumor mechanisms of different TCM formulas are analyzed and summarized. Additionally, the opportunities and challenges of the anti-tumor TCM formulas in the future were also involved. We carried out an extensive review of 173 reports published in PubMed since 1993 to provide support for further research and development of TCM formulas for the therapy of tumor.