Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. The innovation of modern diagnostics and chemotherapeutics has improved cancer patients' treatment and care, but advanced stages of cancer remain extremely challenging to treat. Therefore, new and creative approaches are needed to prevent and treat cancer. Herbal medicines have been used for many centuries to prevent diseases such as cancer. Funding agencies, such as the National Cancer Institute in the United States, have recently emphasized support for cancer chemoprevention research using natural phytochemicals and non-toxic drugs such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to prevent or delay the onset of cancer. This perspective distills the latest in cancer chemoprevention research using bioactive components from fruits, vegetables, green tea and Traditional Chinese Medicines (TCM), focusing on Nrf2, epigenomic and cancer stem cell effects.