Social workers practice and conduct research in cancer-related services and concerns including treatment adherence, survivorship, caregiver issues, and cancer-related health care policy. This overview includes recommendations for future social work cancer-related research stemming from a “snapshot” of current literature. The Executive Summary states:

"Social work makes important contributions across the Cancer Control Continuum - from prevention, detection, and diagnosis to treatment and survivorship, assisting “the whole person in the context of the behavioral, social and environmental factors that influence cancer” (NCI, 2002). Social workers support the health and well-being of individuals, families, groups and communities by addressing the psychosocial dimension of care: identifying and mobilizing strengths, supporting coping capacities, linking people to necessary resources and alleviating environmental stressors. The social work profession’s commitment to meeting the needs of the most vulnerable and oppressed members of society is particularly important in the cancer context, serving an essential role in the efforts to eliminate health disparities. Social workers are key members of the health care team and intervene at multiple levels and in multiple systems to optimize quality of life and quality of care." (http://www.socialworkers.org/research/news/120903.asp, 2009) 

Beyond direct practice, social workers are engaged in research that address many of the priority areas outlined in The Nation’s Investment in Cancer Research (2002) including:

•Health status and quality of life in cancer survivorship

•The interface of cancer and aging

•Elimination of health disparities

•Improving the quality of cancer care

•Enhancing cancer communications to health care providers

•Strengthening interdisciplinary research

•Improving palliative care

•Genetic factors and cancer

For more on this topic visit the NASW website by clicking here