A cancer diagnosis is an adverse and potentially traumatic event that can impact several domains of life. The adjustment process for cancer depends upon the particular experiences, demands, and threats that one faces as well as the coping mechanisms one uses to deal with such adversity. Self-compassion may play an important role in the regulation of negative affect and health behavior management in this context. A self-compassionate attitude appears to protect people with cancer against psychological distress and within cancer-impacted domains such as body image, shame, relationship with the partner, and self-care. The testing of compassion-based interventions suggests further improvements in important psychosocial, physical, and physiological outcomes in diverse cancer populations. The evidence is still preliminary and warrants further examination. Nevertheless, self-compassion appears able to drive exciting further research in oncology settings, with current findings strongly suggesting its prominent role in affect regulation in people with cancer.