[Progress on the study of mechanism of the direct action of TCM bioactive components on ovarian cancer].

Both the morbidity and mortality of ovarian cancer, among malignant tumors ot temale genital organs, are quite high. The traditional therapeutic methods on ovarian cancer are surgical operation, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and combination of these methods mentioned above. In recent years, some components of traditional Chinese medicine, such as genistein, semen Coicis, phytosterols, curcumin, quercetin, ginsenoside, etc. have been found to exert anticancer actions of inhibiting proliferation and inducing apoptosis of cancer cells, increasing the sensitivity of patients to chemotherapeutic agents in viva and/or in vitro, the mechanisms involve such aspects as inhibiting activity of key enzymes in cell metabolism, affecting gene expression, antioxidation, and inhibiting tumor angiogenesis, etc. As an adjuvant therapeutic means, the bioactive components of traditional Chinese medicine have broad future of clinical application.