Cancer risk factors, including obesity, aging, alcohol abuse, chronic inflammation and infection interfere with either the initiation or termination of autophagy to promote cancer development. ULK, unc51-like kinase; PI3KC, class III phosphatidylinositol (PI) 3’ kinase; ATG, autophagy related gene; AMPK AMP-activated protein kinase; mTORC1, mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1; ER, endoplasmic reticulum; IL-1β, interleukin 1β; ROS, reactive oxygen species; HCV, hepatitis C virus; HBV, hepatitis B virus; EBV, Epstein-Barr virus; KSHV, Kaposi’s sarcoma-Assocaited Herpesvirus; cFLIP, viral FLICE inhibitory protein; vBcl-2, viral B-cell lymphoma 2; EBNA1, EBV nuclear antigen 1; VacA, vacuolating cytotoxin A; HBx, HBV×protein; H. pylori, Helicobacter pylori. Mechanistic details are provided in the main text.