Soy isoflavones have been identified as dietary components having an important role in reducing the incidence of breast and prostate cancers in Asian countries. Genistein, the predominant isoflavone found in soy products, has been shown to inhibit the carcinogenesis in animal models. There is a growing body of experimental evidence showing that the inhibition of human cancer cell growth by genistein is mediated via the modulation of genes that are related to the control of cell cycle and apoptosis It has been shown that genistein inhibits the activation of NF-kappaB and Akt signaling pathways both of which are known to maintain a homeostatic balance between cell survival and apoptosis. Moreover, genistein antagonizes estrogen- and androgen-mediated signaling pathways in the processes of carcinogenesis. Furthermore, genistein has been found to have antioxidant properties, and shown to be a potent inhibitor of angiogenesis and metastasis. Taken together, both in vivo and in vitro studies have clearly shown that genistein, one of the major soy isoflavones is a promising agent for cancer chemoprevention and further suggest that it could be an adjunct to cancer therapy by virtue of its effects on reversing radioresistance and chemoresistance. In this review, we attempt to provide evidence for these preventive and therapeutic effects of genistein in a succinct manner highlighting comprehensive state-of-the-art knowledge regarding its multi-targeted biological and molecular effects in cancer cells.

膳食中的大豆异黄酮被认为具有减少亚洲国家乳腺癌和前列腺癌的发病率的重要作用，金雀异黄素是大豆异黄酮中的主要成分，它被证明在动物模型中具有抑制癌变的作用。 越来越多的实验数据显示，金雀异黄素通过介导控制细胞周期和凋亡的调控基因来抑制人类癌细胞的生长；金雀异黄素还可抑制众所周知的维持细胞存活和凋亡之间的稳态平衡的NF-κB和Akt的活化信号转导通路；金雀异黄素具有在癌变过程中抗雌激素和雄激素介导的信号通道的作用；此外，金雀异黄素还具有抗氧化功能，并被证实是一个有力的抗血管生成和转移的抑制剂。 总之，无论是在体内和体外研究，作为大豆异黄酮主要成分的金雀异黄素都被清楚地证明是一个有希望的化学防癌剂，它可以通过逆转抗辐射性和药物抗性辅助治疗癌症。在这篇综述中，我们结合最前沿的知识综述了金雀异黄素在癌症治疗中的多靶向生物活性和分子作用。