Figure 1.

Processes that contribute to tumorigenesis and cancer progression and the effects of chemopreventive agents. Most chemopreventive agents act in more than one process, but overall it is well-established that curcumin, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and green tea compounds decrease inflammation, several including resveratrol and sulforaphane decrease reactive oxygen species, resveratrol, apigenin, curcumin, fisetin, quercetin, [6]-gingerol and piperlonguminine promote apoptosis and autophagy, some of those also decreasing inflammation and silibinin, curcumin, green tea compounds, [6]-gingerol and resveratrol have already been shown to increase E-caderin expression and decrease MMP-9 expression and activity, inhibiting cell migration and epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Several other compounds promote similar effects but these are the best described ones, whose effects are direct or indirect but affecting those processes.