Display omitted •Pyroptosis, is a hot, caspase-1/4/5/11-dependent inflammatory cell death.•Pyroptosis is also an emerging hot spot in cancer.•Pyroptosis plays a crucial role in the proliferation and migration of cancer regulated by molecules like non-coding RNAs.•These molecules have guiding significance in prevention and treatment of cancer. Pyroptosis is an inflammatory form of cell death triggered by certain inflammasomes, leading to the cleavage of gasdermin D (GSDMD) and activation of inactive cytokines like IL-18 and IL-1β. Pyroptosis has been reported to be closely associated to some diseases like atherosclerosis and diabetic nephropathy. Recently, some studies found that pyroptosis can influence the proliferation, invasion and metastasis of tumor, which regulated by some non-coding RNAs and other molecules. Hence, we provided an overview of morphological and molecular characteristics of pyroptosis. We also focus on mechanism of regulating pyroptosis in tumor cells as well as the potential roles of pyroptosis in cancer to explore potential diagnostic markers in cancers contributing to the prevention and treatment in cancers.