Psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for cancer patients
International Journal of Whole Person Care January 29, 2024 DOI: 10.26443/ijwpc.v11i1.390 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Case series Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Patients with advanced cancer |
| Intervention | Psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy |
| Topics | Psilocybin Psychedelic-assisted therapy |
| Keywords | Psychotherapist Cancer |
| Key findings | Psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy appears safe and effective for reducing existential distress in advanced cancer patients when delivered in a home-based, physician-supervised setting within a public healthcare system. |
Abstract
Despite significant advances in symptom management for patients affected by serious illness, physicians lack effective legal treatments for individuals suffering from demoralization, death anxiety, and existential distress. Psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy employs psilocybin-containing mushrooms or synthetic psilocybin grounded in indigenous traditions and within the context of a therapeutic mindset and environment ("set and setting") to achieve altered states of consciousness that promote healing and psychospiritual growth while reducing suffering. Current research evidence suggests that this form of therapy could serve as a safe and effective therapeutic tool for such patients. This presentation will describe a case series of patients with advanced cancer who received physician-supervised home-based psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy in Montreal, Canada. Our experience postulates the safety and efficacy of this laborious treatment process. By executing this clinical practice in the public healthcare system of Quebec for the first time, we have made an attempt to provide equitable access to these clinical therapies. Having performed these treatments outside the context of clinical trials, we have been able to tailor the therapeutic frame and treatment approach to a more patient-centric and culturally-informed manner. That being said, given the existing societal discrimination and stigma against this form of therapy, including by healthcare professionals, there remain further barriers to overcome in the equitable provision of care, especially to certain segments of the population. The authors will discuss these and potential solutions to addressing them.
Comparable studies
Other case reports and case series on psilocybin and psychedelic-assisted therapy, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prolonged adverse effects from repeated psilocybin use in an underground psychedelic therapy training program: a case report | 2025 | Case study | |
| Suicide of a patient shortly after psilocybin-assisted psychedelic therapy: A case report 60-year-old man with recurrent depression and history of delusions | 2025 | Case study | n = 1 |
| Refractory CRPS pain treated with psilocybin: A case report A patient with refractory complex regional pain syndrome | 2024 | Case study | n = 1 |
| Underground small-group therapy of treatment-resistant depression and complex post-traumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD) with psilocybin—A retrospective case study A woman in her early forties with early complex trauma and treatment-resistant depression | 2023 | Case report | n = 1 |
| Psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for methamphetamine dependence: a case report involving daily methamphetamine use A 36-year-old transwoman who was a daily methamphetamine user | 2024 | Case study | n = 1 |