As a member of the nuclear receptor superfamily, retinoic acid receptor-related orphan receptor α (RORα) is involved in a variety of pathophysiological processes by regulating the expression of related genes. RORα plays an important role in biological rhythm, metabolism, vascular hyperplasia and inflammation, which are closely related to the occurrence and development of tumors. This review focuses on the biological characteristics of RORα and its role and mechanism in tumorigenesis and development, so as to provide new ideas for tumor-related research.