Cancer is one of the major causes of death in the world and its global burden is expected to continue increasing. In several types of cancers, reactive oxygen species (ROS) have been extensively linked to carcinogenesis and cancer progression. However, studies have reported conflicting evidence regarding the role of ROS in cancer, mostly dependent on the cancer type or the step of the tumorigenic process. We review recent studies describing diverse aspects of the interplay of ROS with cancer in the different stages of cancer progression, with a special focus on their role in carcinogenesis, their importance for cancer cell signaling and their relationship to the most prevalent cancer risk factors.

癌症是世界上主要的死亡原因之一，预计其全球负担将继续增加。在几种类型的癌症中，活性氧 (ROS) 与致癌作用和癌症进展广泛相关。然而，研究报告了关于 ROS 在癌症中的作用的相互矛盾的证据，主要取决于癌症类型或致瘤过程的步骤。我们回顾了最近的研究，这些研究描述了 ROS 在癌症进展的不同阶段与癌症相互作用的各个方面，特别关注它们在致癌作用中的作用、它们对癌细胞信号传导的重要性以及它们与最普遍的癌症风险因素的关系。