Please select the eligibility criteria that correspond to the clinical trial below.
Title: Psychopharmacology of Psilocybin in Cancer Patients
Brief Summary: This research is being done to study the psychological effects of psilocybin in cancer patients. Psilocybin is a naturally occurring substance found in some mushrooms that some cultures have used for centuries in religious practices.


Options:
A: Inclusion criteria

Volunteers must:

* Have given written informed consent
* Have a high school level of education
* Be 21 to 80 years old
* Has or has had a cancer diagnosis that is potentially life-threatening. Patients with an active cancer (e.g. stage III or IV with a poor prognosis) or disease progression or recurrence are eligible. Patients who do not have an active cancer or disease progression or disease recurrence are only eligible if at least 1 year has elapsed since their diagnosis.
* Have an ECOG performance status of 0, 1, or 2.
* Have a DSM-IV psychiatric diagnosis, as determined by the SCID, of one or more of the following Axis I psychiatric disorders that is either precipitated by or exacerbated by the psychological stress of the cancer diagnosis: Generalized Anxiety Disorder; Acute Stress Disorder; Post traumatic Stress Disorder; Major Depressive Disorder (mild or moderate severity); Dysthymic Disorder; Adjustment Disorder with Anxiety; Adjustment Disorder with Depressed Mood; Adjustment Disorder with Mixed Anxiety and Depressed Mood; Adjustment Disorder with Disturbance of Conduct; Adjustment Disorder with Disturbance of Emotions and Conduct. Psychiatric diagnosis will be determined by BPRU staff.
* Patients receiving chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, radiation therapy, biologic therapies may participate while receiving those therapies. Continuing hormonal therapy, chemotherapy, or radiation treatment is acceptable if the patient is tolerating the therapy or treatment in a sufficient fashion to allow administration of oral psilocybin.
* Agree that for one week preceding each psilocybin session, he/she will refrain from taking any nonprescription medication, nutritional supplement, or herbal supplement except when approved by the research team. Exceptions will be evaluated by the research team and will include acetaminophen, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and common doses of vitamins and minerals.
* Agree not to use nicotine for at least 2 hours before psilocybin administration, and not again until questionnaires have been completed approximately 7 hours after psilocybin administration.
* Agree to consume approximately the same amount of caffeine-containing beverage (e.g., coffee, tea) that he/she consumes on a usual morning, before arriving at the research unit on the mornings of psilocybin session days. If the patient does not routinely consume caffeinated beverages, he or she must agree not to do so on psilocybin session days.
* Agree not to take any PRN medications on the mornings of psilocybin sessions, with the exception of daily opioid pain medication. Non-routine PRN medications for treating breakthrough pain that were taken in the 24 hours before the psilocybin session may result in rescheduling the treatment session, with the decision at the discretion of the investigators.
* Agree to refrain from using any psychoactive drugs, including alcoholic beverages, within 24 hours of each psilocybin administration. As described elsewhere, exceptions include daily use of caffeine, nicotine, and opioid pain medication.

Exclusion criteria

General Medical Exclusion Criteria

* Cancer with known CNS involvement, or other major CNS disease. In addition to diagnostic results provided by the referring physician, patients will undergo a neurological exam performed by our BPRU internist. Any patient with evidence of a focal deficit will be excluded.
* Hepatic dysfunction as indicated by the following values:

  * GGT \> 3 x ULN (upper limit of norm)
  * AST \> 3 x ULN
  * ALT \> 3 x ULN
  * Tot Bili \> 3.0 mg/dl
* Known paraneoplastic syndrome or "ectopic" hormone production by the primary tumor such as the patient could have or be at risk for hypercalcemia, Cushing's syndrome, hypoglycemia, syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion, or carcinoid syndrome
* Cardiovascular conditions: uncontrolled hypertension, angina, a clinically significant ECG abnormality (e.g. atrial fibrillation), TIA in the last 6 months, stroke, peripheral or pulmonary vascular disease (no active claudication)
* Blood pressure exceeding screening criteria described below
* Epilepsy with history of seizures
* Renal disease (creatinine clearance \< 40 ml/min using the Cockcroft and Gault equation)
* Insulin-dependent diabetes; if taking oral hypoglycemic agent, then no history of hypoglycemia
* Females who are pregnant (positive pregnancy test) or nursing, or are not practicing an effective means of birth control
* Currently taking on a regular (e.g., daily) basis: investigational agents, psychoactive prescription medications (e.g., benzodiazepines), medications having a primary pharmacological effect on serotonin neurons (e.g., ondansetron), or medications that are MAO inhibitors. Long-acting opioid pain medications (e.g. oxycodone sustained release, morphine sustained release -- which are usually taken at 12 hour intervals) will be allowed if the last dose occurred at least 6 hours before psilocybin administration; such medication will not be taken again until at least 6 hours after psilocybin administration.
* For individuals who have intermittent or PRN use of investigational agents, psychoactive prescription medications, medications having a primary pharmacological effect on serotonin neurons, or medications that are MAO inhibitors, psilocybin sessions will not be conducted until at least 5 half-lives of the agent have elapsed after the last dose.
* In addition to the foregoing, patients will be excluded if they are currently using any the following of potent metabolic inducers or inhibitors: Inducers - Rifamycin (rifampin, rifabutin, rifapentine), anticonvulsants (carbamazepine, phenytoin, Phenobarbital), Nevirapine, Efavirenz, Taxol, Dexamethasone), St Johns Wort; Inhibitors - all HIV protease inhibitors, itraconazole, ketoconazole, erythromycin, clarithromycin, troleandomycin.
* In addition to the foregoing, patients will be excluded if it is a medical requirement that they receive any of the following drugs with low therapeutic index within 12 hours after receiving psilocybin: ergot alkaloids, pimozide, midazolam, triazolam, lovastatin, simvastatin, fentanyl.

Psychiatric Exclusion Criteria

* Individuals with severity of depression or anxiety symptoms warranting immediate treatment with antidepressant or daily anxiolytic medication (e.g., due to suicidal ideation). We will interview patients to determine if referral (e.g., to Community Psychiatry) is necessary. For all individuals who are consented and screened, we will notify the referring physician as to: 1) whether the individual enrolled in the study or not, and 2) if disqualified, why the individual was disqualified. If disqualification was based on severe depression or anxiety (e.g., suicidal ideation), this will be included in the information conveyed to the referring physician. Permission for this contact will be obtained from the participant.
* Current or past history of meeting DSM-IV criteria for Schizophrenia, Psychotic Disorder (unless substance-induced or due to a medical condition), or Bipolar I or II Disorder
* Current or past history within the last 5 year of meeting DSM-IV criteria for alcohol or drug dependence (excluding caffeine and nicotine).
* Have a first or second degree relative with schizophrenia, psychotic disorder (unless substance induced or due to a medical condition), or bipolar I or II disorder.
* Currently meets DSM-IV criteria for Dissociative Disorder, Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, or other psychiatric conditions judged to be incompatible with establishment of rapport or safe exposure to psilocybin.

Cardiovascular screening:

There will be at least four blood pressure assessment occasions over at least two separate days. Within a day, assessment occasions will be separated by at least 15 minutes. Each assessment occasion will involve two or more blood pressure readings. To qualify for the study, the mean blood pressure (mm Hg) of the four or more assessment occasions will not exceed 140 systolic and 90 diastolic.

Blood pressure will be taken while subjects are at rest and have been seated or supine for at least 5 minutes. As recommended by the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation and Treatment of High Blood Pressure, these assessments will involve the average of 2 or more readings separated by two minutes. If the first 2 readings differ by more than 5 mm Hg, additional readings will be obtained and averaged. On one or more of the blood pressure measurement occasions, the volunteer will be acclimated to the automated blood pressure monitoring equipment by repeatedly taking blood pressure (at least 3 readings) with the device. Because it has been our experience that time-to-time blood pressure readings with the automated equipment can be variable due to measurement artifact, any reading that initially exceeds our threshold value will be reassessed twice within 4 minutes to assure accuracy.
B: Inclusion Criteria:

* Age: 18-76
* Current or historical diagnosis of cancer
* Projected life expectancy of at least one year
* DSM-IV diagnoses: Acute Stress Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Anxiety Disorder due to cancer, Adjustment Disorder with anxious features
* Any stage of cancer diagnosis

Exclusion Criteria:

* Epilepsy
* Renal disease
* Diabetes
* Abnormal liver function
* Severe cardiovascular disease
* Malignant Hypertension
* Baseline blood pressure must be less than or equal to 140/90
* Personal history or immediate family members with schizophrenia, bipolar affective disorder, delusional disorder, schizoaffective disorder or other psychotic spectrum illness
* Current substance use disorder
* Medication contraindications: anti-seizures medications, insulin, oral hypoglycemics, clonidine, aldomet, cardiovascular medications, anti-psychotics (first and second generation), anti-depressants and mood stabilizers
C: Inclusion Criteria:

1. Male or female, aged \>18 years.
2. Current DSM IV diagnosis of Major Depressive Disorder.
3. Under palliative care.
4. Confirmed diagnosis of cancer.
5. Not on any antidepressants

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Clinical significant abnormal laboratory values.
2. Clinically significant abnormal ECG.
3. Documented history of other psychiatric diagnosis (schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, organic brain disorder, dementia etc.)
D: Inclusion Criteria:

* Histologic documentation of prostate cancer, any stage Life expectancy of \> nine months
* Prior or current androgen deprivation for treatment or control of prostate cancer to include:
* Bilateral Orchiectomy
* LHRH agonist (with or without antiandrogen therapy) ie: leuprolide (Lupron), goserelin (Zoladex), bicalutamide (Casodex), flutamide (Eulexin), or similar agents
* Chemotherapy
* Radiation (Patients may undergo concurrent radiation therapy to the prostate, prostate + seminal vesicles, and/or pelvis). Seed implants are allowed
* Participant report of hot flash frequency of an average of four or more per day, as defined by sweating, flushing, sensation of warmth, night sweats (Average of 28 per week)
* Hot flashes must be moderate or severe (See appendix A for hot flash definitions)
* Grade 2 (Moderate flashes) are warmer, produce obvious perspiration, and last 2 to 3 minutes
* Grade 3 (Severe flashes) causes profuse perspiration, generate intense heat, last longer and interfere with ongoing activity
* Age \>21
* No allergies to soy or dairy products
* No current use of SSRIs, SNRI's, MAOIs, or Linezolide
* No uncontrolled hypertension (160/90) or greater than Class I American Heart Association functional capacity
* No history of mania, hypomania, bipolar disorder, or anorexia nervosa
* No history of seizures
* No history of hepatic dysfunction)
* Must have a telephone
* Signed protocol-specific Informed Consent
* Participants consuming soy foods or soy based supplements must continue on a stable regimen during study participation
* Patients should maintain same treatment and medications for prostate cancer throughout entire study.
* No change in treatment for 2 weeks prior to registration.
* Current use of medications and herbal supplements for hot flashes are allowed if on a stable regimen throughout the entire study. (Does not include anti-depressants)

Exclusion Criteria:

* Anticipated changes in prostate cancer treatment plan (i.e., hormonal manipulation, changes in chemotherapy)
* Concurrent antidepressant therapy
* History of intolerance to venlafaxine
* Recent (within 14 days) use of venlafaxine (Effexor XRTM), monoamine oxidase inhibitor, SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor), or SNRI (selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor)
* History of seizure disorder

Answer: A