Abstract: With clinical diagnosis and treatment shifting to the "bio-psycho-social" model, the psychological state of cancer patients isincreasingly worthy of medical workers' attention. Stress is a series of adaptive responses produced to maintain internal homeostasis when internal and external events impact the body. Many cancer patients endure severe psychological stress because of fear of death, the financial burden of cancer treatment, and the severe pain caused by cancer. Some epidemiological and psychological studies have shown that chronic stress, caused by long-term psychological pressure, contributes to the disruption of homeostasis and neuroendocrine function. These changes relate closely to cancer development, deteriorated quality of life, and shortened survival. This review summarizes the mechanisms of chronic stress induced by social-psychological pressure on tumor progression and the effects of interventions to manage the stress of cancer treatment.