Cancer is one of the leading public health problems in the world. Its incidence has increased in recent years, amounting to about 14 million people. It is believed that this number will double in the next twenty years. The main characteristic of the disease is the uncontrolled proliferation of tissue that destroys the entire body. Great efforts are being made in the prevention, early detection and treatment of cancer. Oncology as a branch of medicine deals with these issues. The relatively new field of psycho-oncology deals with the psychosocial aspects of cancer which are also very important. It examines all the psychological elements of malignant diseases, from their impact on the formation of the disease to the mitigation and treatment of psychological symptoms and problems the disease causes in patients. Interventions that psychiatrists and psychotherapists use in psycho-oncology are pharmacotherapeutic treatment and psychotherapy. Psychotherapists can work individually with patients, in group therapy, with the families of patients and the oncology team. Art in oncology can be used as a method of promoting awareness of the importance of a quality and comprehensive approach to people suffering from these diseases. It is important as a method of teaching professionals the different aspects of oncological diseases, and perhaps most important as a form of psychotherapy (art therapy) for patients, their families and members of the medical team. Art therapy has started developing throughout the 20th century stimulated by the development of psychiatry, psychotherapy and psychoanalysis and the development of new art trends such as surrealism and expressionism. It gets its modern form in the 1940ies when it starts being officially called art therapy. Art therapists are a highly skilled profession and require certain qualifications in artistic and therapeutic work. In the last twenty years efforts are being made worldwide to implement its use with cancer patients. The first patient experiences and therapist impressions are extremely positive. The importance of increasing the number of quantitative studies and randomized controlled trials as the most important form of evidence in modern medicine is emphasized in order to find the best models of art therapy for oncology patients. There are attempts here in Croatia for art therapy to become an equal member of licensed therapeutic jobs. The enthusiasm of individuals and first efforts in the work with patients have produced some interesting projects, but in the future it is essential to create an environment for the education and work of art therapists.