ReviewCancer reports (Hoboken, N.J.)2026
Pharmacotherapeutic Management of Depression in Patients With Cancer: A Review of Mechanistic and Clinical Evidence.
Review in Cancer reports (Hoboken, N.J.), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
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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
0 citing papers in PubMed.
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Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundDepression is a prevalent comorbidity in cancer, yet conventional treatments show inconsistent efficacy. This review sought to provide a mechanism-based framework for managing cancer-related depression by exploring its unique pathophysiology and evaluating promising pharmacotherapies based on their alignment with these biological pathways. This narrative review synthesized evidence on promising pharmacotherapies based on their ability to target the core biological mechanisms of cancer-related depression, including pro-inflammatory cytokine activity, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis hyperactivity, serotonin pathway disruption via indolamine-2,3-dioxygenase activation, and glutamate excitotoxicity. RECENT
findingsInterventions directly targeting inflammation (e.g., celecoxib) and glutamate modulation (e.g., ketamine) demonstrated encouraging early evidence. The effect of ketamine can also be due to its anti-inflammatory properties. Atypical antidepressants, such as mirtazapine, and the serotonergic psychedelic psilocybin also showed promising but preliminary benefits. In contrast, conventional selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and tricyclic antidepressants yielded conflicting results. Other agents, including the psychostimulant methylphenidate, showed utility for specific symptoms like fatigue.
conclusionA personalized, mechanism-informed approach targeting the core pathophysiological cascade of inflammation, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis hyperactivity, and glutamate excitotoxicity is essential for effectively managing depression in patients with cancer. This represents a necessary paradigm shift away from a one-size-fits-all treatment model.
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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 Socratic graph.