Published online Jul 24, 2024. doi: 10.5306/wjco.v15.i7.908
Revised: May 22, 2024
Accepted: June 11, 2024
Published online: July 24, 2024
Processing time: 133 Days and 7 Hours
Psilocybin, a naturally occurring psychedelic compound found in certain species of mushrooms, is known for its effects on anxiety and depression. It has recently gained increasing interest for its potential therapeutic effects, particularly in patients with advanced cancer. This systematic review and meta-analysis aim to evaluate the effects of psilocybin on adult patients with advanced cancer.
To investigate the therapeutic effect of psilocybin in patients with advanced cancer.
A comprehensive search of electronic databases was conducted in PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Google Scholar for articles published up to February 2023. The reference lists of the included studies were also searched to retrieve possible additional studies.
A total of 7 studies met the inclusion criteria for the systematic review, comprising 132 participants. The results revealed significant improvements in quality of life, pain control, and anxiety relief following psilocybin-assisted therapy, specifically results on anxiety relief. Pooled effect sizes indicated statistically significant reductions in symptoms of anxiety at both 4 to 4.5 months [35.15 (95%CI: 32.28-38.01)] and 6 to 6.5 months [33.06 (95%CI: 28.73-37.40)]. Post-administration compared to baseline assessments (P < 0.05). Additionally, patients reported sustained improvements in psychological well-being and existential distress fo
The findings provided compelling evidence for the potential benefits of psilocybin-assisted therapy in improving quality of life, pain control, and anxiety relief in patients with advanced cancer.
Core Tip: Psilocybin-assisted therapy shows promising results in improving quality of life, pain control, and anxiety relief for patients with advanced cancer. This systematic review and meta-analysis of 7 studies involving 132 participants demon