Background:　Cancer　metastasis　has　emerged　as　a　major　public　health　threat　that　causes　majority　of　cancer　fatalities.　Traditional　chemotherapeutics　have　been　effective　in　the　past　but　suffer　from　low　therapeutic　efficiency　and　harmful　side-effects.　Recently,　it　has　been　reported　ursolic　acid　(UA),　one　of　the　naturally　abundant　pentacyclic　triterpenes,　possesses　a　wide　range　of　biological　activities　including　anti-inflammatory,　anti-atherosclerotic,　and　anti-cancer　properties.　More　importantly,　UA　has　the　features　of　low　toxicity,　liver　protection　and　the　potential　of　anti-cancer　metastasis.　Objective:　This　article　aimed　at　reviewing　the　great　potential　of　UA　used　as　a　candidate　drug　in　the　field　of　cancer　therapy　relating　to　suppression　of　tumor　initiation,　progression　and　metastasis.　Methods:　Selective　searches　were　conducted　in　Pubmed,　Google　Scholar　and　Web　of　Science　using　the　keywords　and　subheadings　from　database　inception　to　December　2017.　Systemic　reviews　are　summarized　here.　Results:　UA　has　exhibited　chemopreventive　and　therapeutic　effects　of　cancer　mainly　through　inducing　apoptosis,　inhibiting　cell　proliferation,　preventing　tumor　angiogenesis　and　metastatic.　UA　nano-formulations　could　enhance　the　solubility　and　bioavailability　of　UA　as　well　as　exhibit　better　inhibitory　effect　on　tumor　growth　and　metastasis.　Conclusion:　The　information　presented　in　this　article　can　provide　useful　references　for　further　studies　on　making　UA　a　promising　anti-cancer　drug,　especially　as　a　prophylactic　metastatic　agent　for　clinical　applications.