Can a psychedelic compound from mushrooms benefit people with cancer and major depression?

New results from a clinical trial reveal that a single dose of psilocybin—a naturally occurring psychedelic compound found in mushrooms—can provide sustained reductions in depression and anxiety in individuals with cancer suffering from major depressive disorder. The findings are published by Wiley online in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society.

People with cancer often struggle with depression. In this phase 2 trial, 28 patients with cancer and major depressive disorder received psychological support from a therapist prior to, during, and following a single 25-mg dose of psilocybin.

During clinical interviews conducted 2 years later, 15 (53.6%) patients demonstrated a significant reduction in depression, and 14 (50%) had sustained depression reduction as well as remission. Similarly, psilocybin reduced anxiety for 12 (42.9%) patients at 2 years.

An ongoing randomized, double-blind trial is currently evaluating up to two doses of      25 mg of psilocybin versus placebo as treatment for depression and anxiety in patients with cancer. This study is building on the single-dose study in an effort to bring a larger majority of the patients into remission of depression and anxiety.

“One dose of psilocybin with psychological support to treat depression has a long-term positive impact on relieving depression for as much as 2 years for a substantial portion of patients with cancer, and we’re exploring whether repeating the treatment resolves depression for more than half of the patients,” said lead author Manish Agrawal, MD, of Sunstone Therapies. “If randomized testing shows similar results, this could lead to greater use of psilocybin to treat depression in patients with cancer.”

Additional information
NOTE: The information contained in this release is protected by copyright. Please include journal attribution in all coverage. A free abstract of this article will be available via the CANCER Newsroom upon online publication. For more information or to obtain a PDF of any study, please contact: Sara Henning-Stout, newsroom@wiley.com

Full Citation:
“Long-term Benefits of Single-Dose Psilocybin in Depressed Cancer Patients.” Manish Agrawal, Kim Roddy, Betsy Jenkins, Celia Leeks, and Ezekiel Emanuel. CANCER; Published Online: June 16, 2025 (DOI: 10.1002/cncr.35889).
URL Upon Publication: http://doi.wiley.com/10.1002/cncr.35889

Author Contact: Laura Volovski at lvolovski@sunstonetherapies.com

About the Journal    
CANCER is a peer-reviewed publication of the American Cancer Society integrating scientific information from worldwide sources for all oncologic specialties. The objective of CANCER is to provide an interdisciplinary forum for the exchange of information among oncologic disciplines concerned with the etiology, course, and treatment of human cancer. CANCER is published on behalf of the American Cancer Society by Wiley and can be accessed online. Follow CANCER on X @JournalCancer and Instagram @ACSJournalCancer, and stay up to date with the American Cancer Society Journals on LinkedIn.

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