A group of doctors are urging researchers to look at psychedelics to ease the often overwhelming distress faced by women with late-stage gynaecological cancers.
Conventional ‘gold standard’ psychotherapeutic approaches, such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), take too long to change old habits and require too much stamina, suggest the authors from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.
Writing in a commentary published in the International Journal of Gynecological Cancer, the doctors cite a recent case of a young woman with advanced ovarian cancer whose “fear for her future was real and overwhelming,” but who had neither the time nor the stamina for the options available to ease her distress.
The authors write: “Women with gynecologic cancers face various physical and psychological challenges throughout their treatment journey. Late stages associated with poor prognosis, along with chronic side effects of treatment, often leave women with existential uncertainty stemming from unpredictable disease trajectory and continuous fear of death.
“Up to a quarter of ovarian cancer patients report depression, anxiety, and death anxiety. This is not limited to ovarian cancers, as many gynecologic cancers are unfortunately diagnosed in young women where the burden of anxiety and fear is even greater, often related to the fact that young children may lose their mother.”
The promise of psychedelics
The authors highlight that psychedelic research, including end-of-life distress research – specifically research looking at psilocybin – is showing promise, and the results of studies of people with cancer have been encouraging.
Evidence from research so far suggests that psilocybin works in similar ways to, and is as effective as, antidepressants, with few or no side effects, and, it exerts its beneficial effects when combined with psychotherapy in just one or two sessions, the doctors note.
They highlight a recent pooled data analysis of 10 clinical trials which found that one or two doses of psilocybin had rapid and sustained antidepressant effects that lasted for up to 6 months.
The write: “Concerns regarding psilocybin’s potential for recreational abuse or mental illness have not materialized, and data suggest psilocybin use may actually be protective against psychological distress and suicidality.
“Considering the prevalence of existential distress among ovarian and other gynecologic cancer patients and the potential benefits and safety of psychedelics, there is a clear need for more well-designed protocols prioritizing safety and exploring psilocybin, and other psychedelics, in this vulnerable population.”
The authors will start a trial in 2024 looking at the impact of psilocybin on patients with advanced cancer who are experiencing anxiety and depression associated with their illness.
