Cancer has become a threat to human health

one of the major devastating diseases. Due to the lack of effective treatments

the number of deaths from cancer is still showing a trend of increasing year by year. Based on the overall macro-dialectical thinking mode

and with the unique effect and low side effect

traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) has attracted the attention of cancer researchers and clinicians from around the world. Bitter-cold herbs have significant anti-tumor effects. In this paper

we reviewed the research progress of these herbs and their active constituents by referring to the relevant literatures published in the last decade at home and abroad. According to the function of bitter-cold herbs and their natural active ingredients

this review was divided into nine parts:induction of tumor cell apoptosis

induction of cancer cell differentiation

anti-cancer invasion and anti-metastasis effect

inhibition of tumor angiogenesis

improvement of immune function

reversal of multi-drug resistance

anti-information transmission

inhibition of telomerase activity and cell cycle arrest. In addition

the current situation and existing problems were reviewed in order to screen the anti-tumor Chinese medicine and their active components

thus discovering new drugs with high efficiency and low toxicity from TCM

and benefiting further clinical application.