Skin cancer is a major global public health problem. Over the past thirty years, the number of people who have had skin cancer has exceeded the combined incidence of breast, prostate, lung and colon cancers. Skin cancer is generally classified into two distinct categories such as malignant melanoma and non-melanocytic skin carcinoma (NMSC). NMSCs are much more frequent than melanoma, as basal cell carcinoma (BCC) represents the majority of cases for approximately 80%-85% and has a low rate of metastasis, while squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) has a greater tendency to metastasize and mortality compared to BCC. In contrast, melanoma accounts for less than 1% of skin cancers, but accounts for 80% of all skin cancer-related deaths. The five-year survival rate of melanoma patients is estimated to be 98%, but drops to 62% when the disease reaches the lymph nodes and 18% when the disease metastasizes to distant organs. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essayDNA is the molecular target of many of the drugs used in cancer therapy, and these have been shown to be potent inducers of cell death. They act via a different mechanism based on the chemistry of the lesions in the cell and initiate apoptosis. Over the past decade, specific DNA lesions that trigger apoptosis have been identified. These include O6-methylguanine, N-alkylations of bases, bulky DNA adducts, DNA cross-links, and DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs). Life-threatening events in the cell are DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) that prevent replication and transcription, cause cell cycle arrest, activate pro-apoptotic genes such as BAX (BCL2-associated protein of apoptosis p53 ) and the FAS receptor finally apoptosis. Anticancer agents that target DNA are some of the most effective agents in clinical use and have produced significant increases in cancer patient survival, but unfortunately they are extremely toxic. The development of effective and side effect-free therapies in healthcare is the new direction to combat cancer treatment. Bioactive ingredients from plant secondary metabolites have shown potential in this regard as they act differentially only on tumor cells, without affecting normal cells. Phytochemicals exhibit a wide range of effects, acting on multiple targets such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiangiogenic to prevent, prevent, delay or cure cancer. Essential oils, concentrated hydrophobic liquids, have long been used in traditional medicine for their specific aromas and also as flavoring agents in foods. The lipophilic nature of these essential oils allows them to easily cross cell membranes and reach the inside of the cell. Most components of essential oils are chemical terpenoids, most commonly monoterpenes. Alpha pinene (AP) is an organic compound of the monoterpene class, one of the two isomers of pinene. It is found in the oils of many species of many conifers, especially pine and is also found in rosemary essential oil. AP isolated from pine trees showed strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. In this study, we investigated the antitumor effect of AP and its mechanism of action in human skin epidermoid carcinoma (A431) and melanoma cells (A375).