CANCER CHEMOPREVENTION

The main goal of chemoprevention is to delay the develop-ment of cancer or even to revert the carcinogenesis process. The appropriate use of a chemopreventive agent depends on the understanding of its mechanism of action at different stages, including molecular, cellular, tissue and organ level. Although various compounds are nowadays tested both in vitro and in vivo, still there is a need for the development of new classes of chemopreventive agents as none of the exist-ing ones is ideal. Triterpenoids have gained much attention as potential chemopreventive agents and their synthetic analogs characterized by lower toxicity, better availability, as well as increased protective effects are nowadays thoroughly exam-ined, some of them are even in the phase I/II clinical trials for cancer treatment. Chemoprevention represents a strategy designed to protect cells or tissues against various carcinogens and carcinogenic me