砷是一种广泛存在于自然环境中的全身性毒物，长期砷暴露可导致多种癌症发生。砷致癌机制复杂，其中氧化应激是较为公认的重要机制。核因子E2相关因子2（Nrf2）是调控细胞抗氧化防御系统的关键转录因子，在抵御细胞氧化应激中发挥重要作用。然而，越来越多的证据显示环境性砷暴露可通过诱导Nrf2介导的适应性抗氧化反应，引起抗氧化酶及解毒酶表达，使细胞在不良环境中获得生存优势，进而促进癌症形成与发展。因此，阐明Nrf2及其介导的适应性抗氧化反应在砷致癌过程中的作用对预防和治疗砷暴露相关癌症具有重要意义。“,”Arsenic is a systemic poison ubiquitously distributed in the nature. Long-term arsenic exposure can lead to a variety of cancers. Oxidative stress is a well-recognized mechanism underlying arsenic carcinogenesis. Nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) is a key transcription factor in cellular antioxidant defense. However, accumulating evidences suggest that environmental arsenic exposure may cause and promote arsenic-related cancers through Nrf2-mediated adaptive antioxidant response, which constitutively induces the expression of antioxidant enzymes and detoxification enzymes and confers survival advantage to the cell under stress. Therefore, elucidating the role of Nrf2 and its medicated antioxidant response in arsenic carcinogenesis is vital to prevention and treatment of cancers related to arsenic exposure.