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　nanoformulations　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.　©　2019　Bentham　Science　Publishers.