如今，科学技术的快速发展以及经济和社会的快速变化正在改变人类的生活方式，并影响着人类所依赖的自然、生活、工作和内部环境。同时，全球癌症发病率每年都在显著增加，癌症已成为威胁人类健康的头号杀手。研究表明，饮食、生活习惯、居住环境、心理因素、肠道菌群、遗传学、社会因素以及病毒和非病毒感染与人类癌症密切相关。然而，环境和癌症发展的分子机制仍有待进一步探索。近年来，DNA甲基化已成为环境和癌症研究的关键枢纽和桥梁。一些环境因素可以改变人类癌症抑制基因启动子、原癌基因启动子以及整个基因组的高甲基化/低甲基化，导致相关基因的低/高表达或基因突变，从而产生致癌或抗癌效应。希望通过基于DNA甲基化的癌症环境早期预警标志物的研发，为癌症的早期检测、诊断和靶向治疗提供新方法。本综述系统阐述了环境因素通过改变DNA甲基化影响癌症的内部机制，旨在帮助树立癌症预防的概念并改善人们的健康。© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.

Today, the rapid development of science and technology and the rapid change in economy and society are changing the way of life of human beings and affecting the natural, living, working, and internal environment on which human beings depend. At the same time, the global incidence of cancer has increased significantly yearly, and cancer has become the number one killer that threatens human health. Studies have shown that diet, living habits, residential environment, mental and psychological factors, intestinal flora, genetics, social factors, and viral and non-viral infections are closely related to human cancer. However, the molecular mechanisms of the environment and cancer development remain to be further explored. In recent years, DNA methylation has become a key hub and bridge for environmental and cancer research. Some environmental factors can alter the hyper/hypomethylation of human cancer suppressor gene promoters, proto-oncogene promoters, and the whole genome, causing low/high expression or gene mutation of related genes, thereby exerting oncogenic or anticancer effects. It is expected to develop early warning markers of cancer environment based on DNA methylation, thereby providing new methods for early detection of cancers, diagnosis, and targeted therapy. This review systematically expounds on the internal mechanism of environmental factors affecting cancer by changing DNA methylation, aiming to help establish the concept of cancer prevention and improve people's health.© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.