SynthesisPalliative & supportive care2025
Evaluating the effectiveness of psilocybin in alleviating distress among cancer patients: A systematic review.
Synthesis in Palliative & supportive care, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed.
- The effect of the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) on pain and depression in cancer patients: a randomized controlled trial.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2025Trial
- Psilocybin, From Ancestral Use to Therapeutic Potential: A Multidimensional Review of Its Pharmacological Basis and Current Perspectives.Human psychopharmacology · 2026Review
- Bringing Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy to Palliative Oncology: Early Lessons from Real-World Implementation.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Psychedelic-Assisted Interventions in Palliative Care: A Narrative Overview and Critical Evaluation.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Association between lifetime co-use of classic psychedelics and cannabis and prostate cancer diagnosis among US adults 50 years and older.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Supporting Meaningful Choices: A Decision Aid for Individuals Facing Existential Distress and Considering Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
16 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesPsychological and existential distress is prevalent among patients with life-threatening cancer, significantly impacting their quality of life. Psilocybin-assisted therapy has shown promise in alleviating these symptoms. This systematic review aims to synthesize the evidence on the efficacy and safety of psilocybin in reducing cancer-related distress.
methodsWe searched MEDLINE, APA PsycINFO, Cochrane database, Embase, and Scopus from inception to February 8, 2024, for randomized controlled trials (RCTs), open-label trials, qualitative studies, and single case reports that evaluated psilocybin for cancer-related distress. Data were extracted on study characteristics, participant demographics, psilocybin and psychotherapy intervention, outcome measures, and results. Two authors independently screened, selected, and extracted data from the studies. Cochrane Risk of Bias for RCTs and Methodological Index for Non-Randomized Studies criteria were used to evaluate study quality. This study was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42024511692).
resultsFourteen studies met the inclusion criteria, comprising three RCTs, five open-label trials, five qualitative studies, and one single case report. Psilocybin therapy consistently showed significant reductions in depression, anxiety, and existential distress, with improvements sustained over several months. Adverse effects were generally mild and transient. SIGNIFICANCE OF
resultsThis systematic review highlights the potential of psilocybin-assisted therapy as an effective treatment for reducing psychological and existential distress in cancer patients. Despite promising findings, further large-scale, well-designed RCTs are needed to confirm these results and address existing research gaps.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.