Home-based psilocybin-assisted therapy for a patient with advanced cancer: A case report

📖 Top 30% JournalOct 23, 2025Palliative & supportive care

Psilocybin therapy at home for a patient with advanced cancer: A case report

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Abstract

A 51-year-old man with metastatic lung cancer experienced significant reductions in anxiety and depression after psilocybin-assisted therapy.

Psilocybin-assisted therapy (PAT) may lead to rapid and lasting improvements in anxiety and depression for patients with cancer.
The patient reported a notable decrease in suffering and enhanced well-being two months after treatment.
PAT was well tolerated and delivered safely in a homecare setting.
This therapy may provide an effective option for managing psychospiritual distress in palliative care.
Future research could explore how PAT's effects differ between clinical and home environments, and develop practice guidelines.

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OBJECTIVES: Psychospiritual distress affects many patients with cancer, contributing to diminished quality of life, decreased survival and a desire for hastened death. The current standard of care, which primarily consists of antidepressants and psychotherapy, has demonstrated only modest benefits. Psilocybin-assisted therapy (PAT) has shown evidence of rapid, durable, and significant effects on measures of both depression and anxiety in this patient population.

METHODS: A 51-year-old man diagnosed with metastatic lung cancer, referred to palliative care (PC) with a prognosis of less than 6 months, experienced depression and anxiety in the context of demoralization and existential distress. His suffering persisted despite psychotherapy and treatment with 100 mg of sertraline. He was granted access to PAT through Health Canada's Special Access Program (SAP) and was treated with 25 mg of oral psilocybin in a homecare setting, with preparative and integrative therapy prior to and following the PAT session.

RESULTS: PAT was well tolerated, with significant decreases in both anxiety and depression. The patient subjectively reported a sustained reduction in suffering and improved well-being at 2 months post-intervention.

SIGNIFICANCE OF RESULTS: PAT, when utilized within an appropriate therapeutic framework, may be safely delivered at home and may serve as an effective and long-lasting treatment for symptoms of anxiety and depression associated with psychospiritual symptoms of existential distress in PC. Future studies should examine differences in outcomes between clinical and homecare settings for PAT, and could include creating practice guidelines and protocols for home-based PAT.