Washington, DC - Psychology has played, and will continue to play, a critical role in cancer prevention, treatment and control, according to the flagship journal of the American Psychological Association.

In a special issue of American Psychologist® entitled “Cancer and Psychology,” researchers review the many contributions of psychological science to cancer research, screening, medical adherence, prevention and quality of life, among other related topics. The issue highlights the discoveries and accomplishments that have rooted the psychological sciences as one pillar of cancer control research, practice and policy.

“Up to one-third of the annual cancer diagnoses in the U.S. are attributable in part to risk factors like tobacco use, obesity, physical inactivity and poor nutrition,” according to Paige Green McDonald, PhD, MPH, one of the three scholarly leads on the issue. “Psychological science and evidence-based practice are making important contributions to address the pressing needs of people with cancer.”

The other scholarly leads on the issue were Russell Glasgow, PhD, with the University of Colorado School of Medicine, and Jerry Suls, PhD. Suls and Green McDonald work for the Behavioral Research Program in the Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences at the National Cancer Institute.

“As evidence linking certain behaviors to cancer risk and outcomes accumulated, psychology emerged as a ‘hub science’ in the nation’s cancer control program,” according to the article “Cancer Control Falls Squarely Within the Province of the Psychological Sciences.” Psychology helps people learn to modify unhealthy behaviors that can lead to disease, and enhances the lives of people who have survived or are living with cancer.