Surgery is currently the preferred treatment for most solid tumors. Many factors in the perioperative period, such as the use of anesthetics, would have a great impact on the development and prognosis of tumor. Dexmedetomidine is one of the most common anesthetics used in clinical general anesthesia and regional block. Studies found that dexmedetomidine might promote the progression of breast, lung and gastrointestinal cancer in vitro and in vivo, yet data also suggested that dexmedetomidine could inhibit the growth of ovarian cancer and osteosarcoma. Exploring the effect of dexmedetomidine on cancer can better guide clinical medications and circumvent risks. This review would briefly introduce the clinical pharmacology of dexmedetomidine and summarize the recent trends concerning the effect of dexmedetomidine on tumor.