The Aquilino Cancer Center has released a study showing that psilocybin therapy has vastly improved depression symptoms among cancer patients.
According Cision PR Newswire, Maryland Oncology Hematology at the Aquilino Cancer Center released data pertaining to psilocybin therapy in cancer patients, showing that 50% of participants saw depression symptoms decline after one dosage.
"Research on cancer traditionally focuses on treatments for the physical impacts of the cancer, ignoring the devastating impact that cancer has on a patient's mental well-being. These new promising findings for psilocybin are a huge milestone toward improving the quality of life for cancer patients who suffer from depression," Dr. Manish Agrawal, medical oncologist and clinical director at the Aquilino Cancer Center, told Cision PR Newswire. "While it's premature to draw any definitive conclusions from this feasibility study, simultaneous administration of psilocybin therapy appears to be well-tolerated and promising in treating major depressive disorder for cancer, bringing us one step closer to transforming cancer care.”
More than 17 million Americans have cancer, and a quarter of them suffer from major depression. The lack of treatment for their mental health negatively impacts their quality of life, according to Cision PR Newswire.
The study involved 30 people with cancer who are suffering from a major depressive disorder. The participants were given a 25-milligram dose of COMP360, which is a synthetic psilocybin. It was given to two to four patients simultaneously, and each patient got one-on-one support from trained therapists. These patients were then monitored for eight weeks for symptoms of depression.
According to Cision PR Newswire, 19 of the 30 patients had no prior experience with psychedelic drugs. An assessment was made using the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale, and while the average score to start showed moderate depression at a score of 25.9, it dropped 19.1 points after the psilocybin dosage. There were 15 patients who showed a decline in depression symptoms one week after their first dose.
