Abstract

One of the malignant tumours that affects women most frequently and fatally in underdeveloped nations is cervical cancer. The late recurrence, metastasis, and the efficient adjuvant therapy, such as radiation, chemotherapy, or combination therapy, are the key factors influencing the prognosis of cervical cancer. The occurrence and growth of tumours are tightly related to galectins, a class of proteins that bind to carbohydrates. They play a role in immune evasion, tumour cell transformation, angiogenesis, metastasis, and susceptibility to radiation and chemotherapy. As a consequence, galectins are considered to be the focus of multimodal cancer treatment. In this study, we largely concentrate on the function of galectins, particularly galectin-1, galectin-3, galectin-7, and galectin-9 in cervical cancer, and we provide theoretical support for prospective targeted cervical cancer treatment.