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Review
. 2018 Mar 22;19(4):941.
doi: 10.3390/ijms19040941.

Phytochemicals in Skin Cancer Prevention and Treatment: An Updated Review

Chau Yee Ng  1   2   3   4 , Hsi Yen  5   6   7 , Hui-Yi Hsiao  8 , Shih-Chi Su  9   10   11
Affiliations
Review

Phytochemicals in Skin Cancer Prevention and Treatment: An Updated Review

Chau Yee Ng et al. Int J Mol Sci. .

Abstract

Skin is the largest human organ, our protection against various environmental assaults and noxious agents. Accumulation of these stress events may lead to the formation of skin cancers, including both melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers. Although modern targeted therapies have ameliorated the management of cutaneous malignancies, a safer, more affordable, and more effective strategy for chemoprevention and treatment is clearly needed for the improvement of skin cancer care. Phytochemicals are biologically active compounds derived from plants and herbal products. These agents appear to be beneficial in the battle against cancer as they exert anti-carcinogenic effects and are widely available, highly tolerated, and cost-effective. Evidence has indicated that the anti-carcinogenic properties of phytochemicals are due to their anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, anti-proliferative, and anti-angiogenic effects. In this review, we discuss the preventive potential, therapeutic effects, bioavailability, and structure-activity relationship of these selected phytochemicals for the management of skin cancers. The knowledge compiled here will provide clues for future investigations on novel oncostatic phytochemicals and additional anti-skin cancer mechanisms.

Keywords: chemoprevention; phytomedicine; skin cancer.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Mechanisms of phytomedicines in the chemoprevention of melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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