Abstract

Oxidative stress has increasingly been considered a factor in numerous diseases and cancers because of its extensive presence throughout the body. Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS), generated continuously from oxidative phosphorylation and received from various exogenous sources, are constantly used as a key molecule for signal transduction, but under conditions of oxidative stress, when they can no longer be suppressed, they have the potential to damage the cell’s DNA. In many cases, repair mechanisms mitigate the damage, and if the damage becomes irreparable, then the cell will undergo apoptosis. In rare cases, though, DNA can get damaged to a point where the cell becomes cancerous and can eventually form a tumor. While ROS often take a significant amount of time to accumulate, once they have done so and are unable to be suppressed by cellular countermeasures, it is very likely for DNA damage to occur, and in cancerous cells, they actually enhance rapid proliferation, chronic inflammation, metastasis, and angiogenesis. This is why it is necessary to boost or introduce cellular countermeasures to mitigate the dangers of ROS. Current research on oxidative stress is mainly focusing on the benefits of antioxidants, which are commonly used by the cell to reduce ROS, and triggering apoptosis in tumors through enhanced oxidative stress conditions. This review will discuss the role of oxidative stress in tumorigenesis and cancer proliferation as well as the possible treatments, especially antioxidants and ROS-inducing drugs.