表观遗传机制是正常细胞发育的基石，协调哺乳动物细胞中的组织特异性基因表达。这种复杂景观中的畸变驱动了基因功能的实质性变化，成为癌症病因和进展的关键。虽然癌症传统上被认为只是一种遗传性疾病，但其当代定义涵盖了与破坏性表观遗传异常交织在一起的遗传改变。这篇综述探讨了 DNA 甲基化、组蛋白修饰和非编码 RNA 对基本细胞过程的深远影响。当这些关键的表观遗传机制受到破坏时，它们会错综复杂地指导在看似正常的细胞中获得癌症的 6 个标志性特征。利用最新进展来解码这些复杂的表观遗传学具有巨大的前景，预示着开发针对异常表观遗传修饰驱动的癌症的有针对性和更有效的治疗方式的新时代。

Epigenetic machinery is a cornerstone in normal cell development, orchestrating tissue-specific gene expression in mammalian cells. Aberrations in this intricate landscape drive substantial changes in gene function, emerging as a linchpin in cancer etiology and progression. While cancer was conventionally perceived as solely a genetic disorder, its contemporary definition encompasses genetic alterations intertwined with disruptive epigenetic abnormalities. This review explores the profound impact of DNA methylation, histone modifications, and noncoding RNAs on fundamental cellular processes. When these pivotal epigenetic mechanisms undergo disruption, they intricately guide the acquisition of the 6 hallmark characteristics of cancer within seemingly normal cells. Leveraging the latest advancements in decoding these epigenetic intricacies holds immense promise, heralding a new era in developing targeted and more efficacious treatment modalities against cancers driven by aberrant epigenetic modifications.