# Psilocybin based therapy for cancer related distress, a systematic review and meta analysis

**Authors:** Camile Bahi  
**arXiv:** [1910.05176](https://arxiv.org/abs/1910.05176)  
**Date:** 2019-10-10  
**Summary page:** https://www.summarizepaper.com/en/paper/1910.05176v1/

## Key points

- Depression and anxiety are common in cancer patients
- Traditional antidepressants have not been proven effective compared to placebo
- Psilocybin-based therapy, which uses a serotoninergic hallucinogen, may be promising for treating cancer-related distress
- The Heffter Institute is the main organization working on this topic
- A systematic review was conducted following PRISMA guidelines to examine whether psilocybin-based therapy could be considered safe and effective for cancer-related depression and anxiety
- Both quantitative and qualitative studies were analyzed from PubMed and the Heffter Institute databases
- The review included four studies with 105 randomized patients
- A meta-analysis on depression and anxiety using pooled Peto odds ratios showed that psilocybin was significantly superior to placebo
- Psilocybin also appeared to be safe for this type of patient
- New hypotheses about psychological mechanisms were discovered
- Psilocybin appears to be potentially useful as a treatment for cancer-related depression and anxiety
- Future research should verify these findings on a wider population and seek ways to apply therapy to non-hospitalized (ambulatory) patients.

## Summary

Depression and anxiety are common in cancer patients, but traditional antidepressants have not been proven effective compared to placebo. Recent studies have shown that a psilocybin-based therapy, which uses a serotoninergic hallucinogen, may be promising for treating these types of distress. The Heffter Institute is the main organization working on this topic. To examine whether psilocybin-based therapy could be considered safe and effective for cancer-related depression and anxiety, a systematic review was conducted following PRISMA guidelines. Both quantitative and qualitative studies were analyzed from PubMed and the Heffter Institute databases. The effects of psilocybin on cancer-related depression and anxiety were studied separately, as well as the psychological and neurobiological mechanisms involved. The review included four studies with 105 randomized patients. A meta-analysis on depression and anxiety using pooled Peto odds ratios showed that psilocybin was significantly superior to placebo. The substance also appeared to be safe for this type of patient. Surprisingly, new hypotheses about psychological mechanisms were discovered. In conclusion, psilocybin appears to be potentially useful as a treatment for cancer-related depression and anxiety. Future research should verify these findings on a wider population and seek ways to apply therapy to non-hospitalized (ambulatory) patients. This study provides hope for those suffering from cancer-related distress who have not found relief through traditional antidepressants. Further research is needed to fully understand the potential benefits of psilocybin-based therapy in treating these conditions.