Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Psychopharmacology in Cancer Care 2025

Clinicians have numerous tools at their disposal to help adult cancer patients dealing with symptoms of depression, anxiety, and other cancer sequelae. Psychiatric medications are most frequently prescribed to cancer patients by oncologists and general practitioners, however psychiatric syndromes are often underdiagnosed and undertreated. Few oncology practices have dedicated psychiatric consultants familiar with the nuances of Psycho-Oncology. Even when patients receive psychotropic medications appropriately, they may have problems that arise before their next oncology visit or before they see the person who prescribed their psychiatric medications. Psychologists, nurses, and social workers play an essential role in identifying psychological and physical symptoms as well as both beneficial and problematic medication effects as they provide frontline psychosocial interventions and support for cancer patients.

This highly regarded annual course, co-sponsored by the MSK Psycho-Oncology Education and Training Institute (POETI), is designed to support non-prescribing psycho-oncology clinicians and psychiatrists new to Psycho-pharmaco-oncology. Oncologists, palliative care providers, advanced practice nurses, and oncology nurses will also find it invaluable.

The program emphasizes effective psychopharmacological interventions for key disorders and symptoms, including anxiety, depression, delirium, sleep dsisturbances, pain, fatigue, and changes in weight or appetite. Expert faculty will provide updates on the use of novel interventions including ketamine, medical marijuana, and psilocybin for depression, anxiety, and pain. Additionally, the vital role of clinical social work in delivering psychosocial support will be examined.

Participants will gain skills to recognize and differentiate psychological reactions to medical conditions or treatments, psychiatric manifestations of medical conditions or treatments, and medical presentations of psychiatric conditions. We’ll also explore common medical complications associated with psychiatric conditions or their treatments. Foundational knowledge will be provided about medications used to alleviate Quality-of-Life symptoms that arise in the cancer setting from diagnosis to survivorship or end-of-life care and the interface of psychotherapy and medication management. We’ll review why certain medications are used and why some are avoided, looking at potential benefits, unwanted side effects, and drug-drug interactions since you may be the first person to identify a serious adverse event. This program will enhance participants’ ability to provide psychoeducation to patients regarding psychiatric medications.

Attendees will receive access to an online syllabus after the course, which will include select PDFs of the faculty presentations (slides) and recorded videos.

1. Describe basic psycho-pharmaco-oncology principles for understanding and treating anxiety, depression and delirium in people with cancer.
2. Identify the use of novel interventions including ketamine, medical marijuana, and psilocybin for depression, anxiety, and pain in people with cancer.
3. Discuss basic psycho-pharmaco-oncology principles for understanding and improving quality of life and psychiatric palliative care in people with cancer, including managing cognitive changes, insomnia, fatigue, poor appetite and weight loss, and pain.

The 2025 Psychopharmacology in Cancer Care course by Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) is designed for physicians and healthcare professionals involved in oncology, psychiatry, palliative care, and psycho-oncology.

This course is particularly beneficial for:

• Oncologists & Hematologists managing psychiatric symptoms in cancer patients.
• Psychiatrists & Psychologists specializing in psycho-oncology.
• Palliative Care Physicians addressing depression, anxiety, and delirium in cancer care.
• Internal Medicine & Family Medicine Physicians prescribing psychiatric medications for cancer patients.
• Neurologists & Pain Medicine Specialists focusing on psychiatric aspects of pain management.
• Advanced Practice Nurses & Nurse Practitioners supporting psycho-oncology care.
• Social Workers & Psychosocial Professionals involved in psychiatric palliative care.

The course covers depression, anxiety, delirium, sleep disturbances, fatigue, pain, weight changes, and emerging treatments like ketamine, medical marijuana, and psilocybin

+ Topics:

• Anxiety Disorders.mp4
  Anxiety Disorders.pdf
  Cancer and Cancer-Treatment Related Cognitive Changes.mp4
  Cancer and Cancer-Treatment Related Cognitive Changes.pdf
  Cancer-Related Fatigue.mp4
  Cancer-Related Fatigue.pdf
  Caring for the Whole Patient- The Role of Clinical Social Work in Psychosocial Support.mp4
  Caring for the Whole Patient- The Role of Clinical Social Work in Psychosocial Support.pdf
  Delirium.mp4
  Delirium.pdf
  Depressive Disorders.mp4
  Depressive Disorders.pdf
  Handouts.pdf
  Ketamine and Esketamine for Depression.mp4
  Ketamine and Esketamine for Depression.pdf
  Novel Psychopharmacologic Interventions in Oncology.mp4
  Novel Psychopharmacologic Interventions in Oncology.pdf
  Pain.mp4
  Pain.pdf
  Psychopharm2025_Brochure.pdf
  Sleep Disorders.mp4
  Sleep Disorders.pdf
  Weight and Appetite Loss.mp4
  Weight and Appetite Loss.pdf