Dr Schooling conceptualized the study, drafted the initial manuscript, and approved the fi nal manuscript as submitted; and Drs Houghton and Terry made substantial contributions to the conceptualization, reviewed and revised the manuscript, and approved the fi nal manuscript as submitted. Strong associations between diethylstilbestrol exposure in utero and the subsequent risk of clear cell vaginal cancer offered the first epidemiologic evidence that a prenatal exposure, particularly a hormonal one, could lead to cancer later in life. 1 -3 Endogenous hormones have been implicated in many cancers, including some of the most common cancers globally (breast and prostate) as well as some of the rarer cancers (endometrium, ovary, testis, thyroid, osteosarcoma, Ewing's sarcoma, and rhabdomyosarcoma). 4 -7 Key to interpreting the evidence base concerning the hormonal environment and cancer risk are specific issues of hormonal measurements, including the type (eg, direct as opposed to proxy indicators) and the timing (eg, adulthood versus in utero, infancy, childhood, and puberty), so that their effects can be understood within the context of their Hormone-related cancers have long been thought to be sensitive to exposures during key periods of sexual development, as shown by the vulnerability to such cancers of women exposed to diethylstilbestrol in utero. In addition to evidence from human studies, animal studies using new techniques, such as gene knockout models, suggest that an increasing number of cancers may be hormonally related, including liver, lung, and bladder cancer. Greater understanding of sexual development has also revealed the "mini-puberty" of early infancy as a key period when some sex hormones reach levels similar to those at puberty. Factors driving sex hormones in utero and early infancy have not been systematically identified as potential targets of intervention for cancer prevention. On the basis of sex hormone pathways, we identify common potentially modifiable drivers of sex hormones, including but not limited to factors such as obesity, alcohol, and possibly nitric oxide. We review the evidence for effects of modifiable drivers of sex hormones during the prenatal period and early infancy, including measured hormones as well as proxies, such as the second-to-fourth digit length ratio. We summarize the gaps in the evidence needed to identify new potential targets of early life intervention for lifelong cancer prevention.