Abstract: Apigenin is an important flavonoid in Apium graveolens. It has the effect of inhibition and cell apotosis induction on many kinds of cancer cells.But the mechanism of its effect on cancer cells has not yet been explained thoroughly and accurately.In this paper, apigenin’s anti- cancer effect was summarized and discussed with the reference of relevant literatures of anticarcinogenic activity in recent years. The research of the mechanism was further concentrated on the cellular and molecular levels including the inhibition or activation on gene and protein, regulation of signal factor, intervention of enzyme activity. This research of the mechanism of apigenin ’s anticarcinogenic activity was an important part of cancer chemoprevention, which provided theory basis for its application as a cancer chemoprevention agent.