<p>Cancer is a medical problem that has been difficult to overcome on a global scale. Owing to the sharing of single or multiple genes or regulatory modules, cancer treatment often faces severe challenges. The core of network pharmacology lies in constructing human disease gene regulation networks and multi-pharmacology network. With the continuous updating and iteration of new technologies, it is helpful for us to systematically understand the occurrence and development mechanism behind complex diseases and elucidate the pharmacological mechanisms from the perspective of biological network balance. This review aims to clarify the application of network pharmacology in exploring the pharmacological treatment mechanism of natural products, drug repositioning, and new technology combinations in the context of complex pathogenesis of cancer, so as to help realize the full potential of network pharmacology. Additionally, we discuss the future development of network pharmacology to guide clinical diagnosis and treatment.</p> Graphical abstract <p></p>