Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Psychopharmacology in Cancer Care 2025

• Target Audience: oncologists, hematologists, psychiatrists, palliative care physicians, neurologists, pain medicine specialists, internists, family medicine physicians
• Sample video: contact me for sample video
• Information:

Specialties – Behavioral Care, Critical Care, General and Family Practice, Geriatric Medicine, Hematology, Integrative Medicine, Internal Medicine, Medical Oncology, Neurology, Nurse Anesthetist, Nurse Practitioner, Nursing, Pain Medicine, Psychiatry, Psychology, Social Work

Overview

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.

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

Objectives

By attending this program, learners will be able to:

Describe basic psycho-pharmaco-oncology principles for understanding and treating anxiety, depression and delirium in people with cancer.

Identify the use of novel interventions including ketamine, medical marijuana, and psilocybin for depression, anxiety, and pain in people with cancer.

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