Growing evidence indicates that it is not possible to understand carcinoma taking into account only the biological basis, without the psychological and social aspects of the disease. Contemporary psychooncology represents a holistic approach to the disease, integrating theoretical models, clinical and sociological observations as well as current scientific data. Psychooncological research concentrates on the influence of psychological factors on the risk of developing cancer (the model of “personality promoting carcinoma” and the model of “loss and depression”), on psychological processes as predictive factors in the course of an already existing illness and on psychological distress during diagnosis and treatment of the cancer.