In order to investigate the effect of artesunate combined with irradiaton on DNA damage of HeLa and Siha cells of human cervical cancer, HeLa and Siha cells were cultured in vitro and exposed to different concentration of artesunate for 24 h and MTT assay was used to observe the inhibitory effect of different concentrations of artesunate on the proliferation of HeLa and Siha cells. The cells were divided into 2 groups as the irradiated group and the union treatment group. Here it was set up four absorbed doses of ,60,Co γ-irradiation in each group with 0, 2, 4, and 6Gy, and the DNA damage were detected by single cell gel electrophoresis assay. MTT analysis showed that the inhibition of artesunate on HeLa and Siha cells of cervical cancer was in concentration-dependent manners. Single cell gel electrophoresis showed that the DNA damage of HeLa cells treated with artesunate was more serious than that treated only with irradiation (,P,<,0.05), but had no such effect on Siha cells. Artesunate can increase the radio-sensitivity of HeLa cells of cervival cancer with p53 mutant, but has no such effect on wide type p53 Siha cells.