Author | Year | Drug | Study design | Participants (n) | Duration | Type of cancer/Stages | Evaluation | Results |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
A. Head-to-head trials | ||||||||
Holland | 1998 | Fluoxetine vs. Desipramine | Double blind RCT, ITT analysis, LOCF approach | n= 38 | 6 weeks | Breast cancer, Stages II, III, IV | HDRS Other: CGI, PGI, HAS, FLIC, MPAC, SF-36 HS | No significant difference between fluoxetine and desipramine. |
Pezella | 2001 | Paroxetine vs. Amitriptyline | Double blind RCT, ITT analysis, LOCF approach | n= 179 177 received medication | 8 weeks | Breast cancer, any stage | MADRS Other: CGI, FLIC, PGE | 38/88 subjects in the drug group and 33/87 in the amitryptiline group were responders (p= 0.441) |
Cancurtaran | 2008 | Mirtazapine vs. Imipramine vs. Control groupwithout medication | Double blind (for the participants of the two drug groups) RCT, completers’ analysis | n= 53 | 6 weeks | NR | SCID, HADS | Significant improvement in the mirtazapine group. No significant change in the other two groups. |
B. Placebo controlled studies | ||||||||
Costa | 1985 | Mianserin | Double blind RCT, ITT analysis, LOCF approach | n= 73 | 4 weeks | Gynecological cancer, stages II, III, IV | ZSDRS, HDRS, CGI-S | 28/36 in the Mianserin group and 18/37 in the placebo group were responders (p< 0.025). |
Van Heeringen | 1996 | Mianserin | Double blind RCT, ITT analysis, LOCF approach | n= 55 | 7 weeks | Breast cancer, stages I, II | HDRS | 19/28 patients in the mianserin group and 10/27 in the placebo group were responders (p= 0.044). |
Razavi | 1996 | Fluoxetine | Double blind RCT, completers’ analysis | n= 91 | 5 weeks | Any kind of cancer, any stage | HADS Other: MADRS, HAS, SCL-90R, SQOLI | 18% in the fluoxetine group and 20% in the placebo group were responders (no significant difference) |
Fisch | 2003 | Fluoxetine | Double blind RCT, Completers’ analysis | n= 163 | 12 weeks | Any type of cancer, advanced stage | TQSS, FACT-G, BZRDS | Results available for 129 patients. 31/64 patients in the fluoxetine group and 23/65 in the placebo group were responders (p= 0.12). |
Musselmann | 2006 | Paroxetine vs Desipramine vs placebo | Double blind RCT, ITT analysis, LOCF approach | n= 35 | 6 weeks | Breast cancer, any stage | DSM-III-R- multiaxial evaluation HAD, HAS, CGI | 5/13 in the paroxetine group, 5/11 in the desipramine group and 6/11 in the placebo group were responders (no statistical significance). |
Navari | 2007 | Fluoxetine | Double blind RCT, completers’ analysis | n= 193 | Six months | Breast cancer, stages I, II | TQSS, BZDRS, FACT-G | 71/90 subjects in the fluoxetine group and 23/90 in the placebo group showed a significant (p< 0.01) improvement (p< 0.0005). |