The aim of the study was to assess the correlations between the acceptance of the illness and coping strategies and social support.

Material and methods: We studied 63 oncologic patients. In the study the following methods were used: Acceptance of Illness Scale (AIS), Mini-Mental Adjustment to Cancer Scale (Mini-MAC) and Berlin Social Support Scales (BSSS).

Results and conclusions: The results of the study indicated positive correlations between using active (constructive) coping with stress style and the acceptance of the illness level. The Fighting Spirit strategy seemed to play a role here. Similarly, the greater the acceptance of illness, the more social support the patient perceives and receives. In addition, we observed that women were significantly more likely to use an active (constructive) coping style and they reached higher scores on social support dimensions such as perceived available support and support actually received.