Due to the interconnectedness of aquatic ecosystems through the highly effective marine and atmospheric transport routes, all aquatic ecosystems are potentially vulnerable to pollution. Whilst links between pollution and increased mortality of wild animals have now been firmly established, the next steps should be to focus on specific physiological pathways and pathologies that link pollution to wildlife health deterioration. One of the pollution-induced pathologies that should be at the centre of attention in ecological and evolutionary research is cancer, as anthropogenic contamination has resulted in a rapid increase of oncogenic substances in natural habitats. Whilst wildlife cancer research is an emerging research topic, systematic reviews of the many case studies published over the recent decades are scarce. This research direction would (1) provide a better understanding of the physiological mechanisms connecting anthropogenic pollution to oncogenic processes in non-model organisms (reducing the current bias towards human and lab-animal studies in cancer research), and (2) allow us to better predict the vulnerability of different wild populations to oncogenic contamination. This article combines the information available within the scientific literature about cancer occurrences in aquatic and semi-aquatic species. For the first aim, we use available knowledge from aquatic species to suggest physiological mechanisms that link pollution and cancer, including main metabolic detoxification pathways, oxidative damage effects, infections, and changes to the microbiome. For the second aim, we determine which types of aquatic animals are more vulnerable to pollution-induced cancer, which types of pollution are mainly associated with cancer in aquatic ecosystems, and which types of cancer pollution causes. We also discuss the role of migration in exposing aquatic and semi-aquatic animals to different oncogenic pollutants. Finally, we suggest novel research avenues, including experimental approaches, analysis of the effects of pollutant cocktails and long-term chronic exposure to lower levels of pollutants, and the use of already published databases of gene expression levels in animals from differently polluted habitats.

由于水生生态系统通过高效的海洋和大气运输路线相互联系，因此所有水生生态系统都可能容易受到污染。尽管污染与野生动物死亡率增加之间的联系已得到牢固确立，但下一步应该集中在将污染与野生动植物健康恶化联系在一起的特定生理途径和病理上。癌症是生态和进化研究中应引起关注的一种污染引起的病理学，因为人为污染已导致自然栖息地中致癌物质的迅速增加。尽管野生生物癌症研究是一个新兴的研究主题，但对近几十年来发表的许多案例研究的系统评价却很少。该研究方向将（1）更好地理解人为污染与非模式生物中致癌过程之间的生理机制（减少当前对癌症研究中人和实验室动物研究的偏见），以及（2）使我们能够更好地预测不同野生种群对致癌污染的脆弱性。本文结合了科学文献中有关水生和半水生物种癌症发生的信息。为了第一个目标，我们使用了来自水生物种的现有知识来提出将污染与癌症联系起来的生理机制，包括主要的代谢排毒途径，氧化损伤作用，感染以及微生物组的变化。为了第二个目标 我们确定哪种类型的水生动物更容易受到污染引起的癌症的影响，哪种类型的污染主要与水生生态系统中的癌症有关，以及哪种类型的癌症污染引起。我们还讨论了迁移在将水生和半水生动物暴露于不同致癌污染物中的作用。最后，我们提出了新颖的研究途径，包括实验方法，污染物混合物的影响分析以及长期长期暴露于较低水平的污染物，以及使用已经发表的来自不同污染栖息地的动物的基因表达水平数据库。我们还讨论了迁移在将水生和半水生动物暴露于不同致癌污染物中的作用。最后，我们提出了新颖的研究途径，包括实验方法，污染物混合物的影响分析以及长期长期暴露于较低水平的污染物，以及使用已经发表的来自不同污染栖息地的动物的基因表达水平数据库。我们还讨论了迁移在将水生和半水生动物暴露于不同致癌污染物中的作用。最后，我们提出了新颖的研究途径，包括实验方法，污染物混合物的影响分析以及长期长期暴露于较低水平的污染物，以及使用已经发表的来自不同污染栖息地的动物的基因表达水平数据库。