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Cancer is characterized as a disease that affects different ethnicities, gender and socioeconomic status. The incidence of cancer is increasing, and, according to national and international estimates, the numbers will continue increasing. Based on this finding, the nurse must be prepared to develop a care plan for cancer patients according to the biological, social and emotional needs resulting from the diagnosis, treatment and survival. The study aims to know the nurse's perception about the nursing care to the patient with cancer. It is a descriptive exploratory study with qualitative methodological approach of data carried out with twelve nurses who developed assistance activities with patients with cancer of a school hospital in the State of São Paulo, Brazil. The data were collected using a semi-structured interview. The data were organized around two main themes: the perception and the dimensions of the care and the oncology patient care. The results revealed that, for nurses, assistance is directed to issues such as the care during treatment, administration of chemotherapy, pain relief and emotional dimensions of patient interaction with cancer, in terminality process and death. We conclude that the oncological patient care requires specialized and humanized knowledge of the entire multidisciplinary team involved in this process.