Cancer is one of the most relevant pandemics in modern world. There is a clear predominance of this pathology with distinct epidemiological characteristics in developing and developed countries. Effective, low-cost treatment and prophylaxis strategies that also have minimal side effects are needed. The present work is a brief revision of research that show the great therapeutic potential of plants, highlighting those carried out in Latin America with local plants considering that this is a yet incipient field of study. The great pool of organic compounds and other substances such as proteins indicate that they might provide a reliable alternative in the search for new actors in the battle against cancer.