Cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide. Despite significant recent progress in the treatment of cancer, the incidence and mortality rate are still high, and finding effective drugs to treat cancer thus remains a focus of research. The natural compound extract, isoliquiritigenin (ISL), has been widely studied in terms of its anti-tumor effects in recent years. This article reviews recent research progress on the anti-cancer effects of ISL,and discusses its role in suppressing the occurrence of cancer by controlling the cell cycle, metastasis, angiogenesis,