A new clinical trial shows that a single dose of psilocybin, a natural psychedelic found in certain mushrooms, can significantly reduce depression and anxiety in cancer patients with major depressive disorder.
The study, published in the journal Cancer, offers hope for long-lasting relief.
In the Phase II trial, 28 cancer patients with major depression received psychological support before, during, and after taking one 25-mg dose of psilocybin.
Two years later, over half of the patients (53.6%) experienced a strong drop in depression symptoms, and half (50%) maintained this improvement with full remission. Anxiety also decreased for nearly 43% of patients.
Researchers are now running a larger, double-blind trial to test whether giving up to two doses of psilocybin can help even more patients. This study compares psilocybin to a placebo to confirm its effects.
Dr. Manish Agrawal, lead author from Sunstone Therapies, said, “One dose of psilocybin with therapy can relieve depression for up to two years in many cancer patients. We hope that repeated doses will help even more people recover.”
If future trials confirm these results, psilocybin could become a widely used treatment for depression in cancer patients.
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