Mitochondrial ROS generation for regulation of autophagic pathways in cancer

► Mitochondria, the main source of ROS, may orchestrate apoptosis and autophagy. ► Autophagy, highly regulated by autophagy-related genes, has many links to cancer. ► Mitochondrial ROS are multifaceted signaling molecules in cancer cells. ► Autophagy plays the Janus role for regulating mitochondrial ROS-mediated pathways. ► Targeting autophagy may be a promising avenue for cancer drug discovery.