Background: Cervical cancer is a public health problem in Indonesia and in the world, due to the high incidence and mortality rate. Cervical cancer is the second most common type of cancer in women and accounts for more than 250,000 deaths in 2005. An understanding of carcinogenesis begins the development of promising new strategies for cancer prevention, namely the discovery of chemopreventive compounds. Chemopreventive is a compound that can be used to inhibit, delay, and restore the process of cancer. Temulawak contains curcumin and xanthorrhizol which are the main active substances in ginger which has activities as antioxidants, anticancer and immunomodulators that play an important role in inhibiting carcinogenesis. Methods: A pure experimental study was carried out on cervical cancer hela cells by giving temulawak rhizome ethanol extract which was divided into 4 concentrations. Ethanol extract was carried out by cytotoxic test to determine IC50. Proapoptosis testing of cervical cancer hela cells by observing caspase 3 gene expression on immunocytochemical methods. Results: Cytotoxic test performed obtained IC50 results of 32.36 μg / ml. IC50 values are then made into 3 concentrations, namely ½ IC50, IC50, and 2xIC50. The results of ICC testing showed that there was an increase in caspase 3 gene expression index (p> 0.05) in the 1 / 2IC50 and IC50 concentration groups. Expression of caspase 3 in the IC50 concentration group was higher than that of the 1 / 2IC50 concentration group. In the 2xIC50 concentration group there are no live cells so that the expression caspase 3 cannot be seen. Conclusion: The ethanol extract of ginger rhizome has the potential as a chemopreventive agent to prevent cervical cancer because it increases apoptotic activity in the cells of cervical cancer. The potential for cell apoptosis which is influenced by the temulawak (curcuma xanthorriza, roxb) ethanol extract with the optimal dose that can be used is IC50, which is 32.36 μg / ml. However, ethanol extract of temulawak rhizome did not significantly increase caspase3 expression after going through statistical tests.