Journal of Pediatric Psychology () pp. –, doi:./jpepsy/jsi Journal of Pediatric Psychology vol. no. © Society of Pediatric Psychology ; all rights reserved. Commentary: Contexts and Challenges in Pediatric Psychosocial Oncology Research: Chasing Movi

Pediatric oncology provided one of the most impressive medical success stories of the latter half of the twentieth century. As recently as the mid-1960s, malignant dis-eases such as acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) were still almost universally fatal. For the parents of a child diagnosed with ALL, doctors could offer little more than palliative measures, and the tragic end often came quickly. By the early 1990s, an initial remission was obtainable for virtually all children with ALL, who now had a 75–80 % chance of long-term survival. As we fol-low this story, we can only marvel, applaud, and be thankful. This incredible progress was achieved through a focused national effort and through the establishment of cooperative groups that allowed for treating nearly all children with cancer via large-scale clinical trials. Some