Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 7, 2026

Therapeutic Massage for Psychological Well-being in Geriatric Oncology
Published on: May 22, 2026
Pros and cons of fluoxetine for the depressed cancer patient
J L Shuster1, T A Stern, D B Greenberg
1Division of Medical/Surgical Psychiatry, University of Alabama, Birmingham.
Abstract:
When major depression develops in patients with cancer, specific antidepressant treatment should be initiated. Fluoxetine (Prozac) is one of several effective treatments for depression; it is currently the most frequently prescribed antidepressant in the United States. Unfortunately, the information from studies and reports regarding the use of fluoxetine in patients with cancer is limited. This article reviews the properties, drug interactions, and side-effect profiles of fluoxetine and the other antidepressants most relevant to the care of cancer patients. Also discussed are strategies for the prudent prescription of fluoxetine, the tricyclic antidepressants, and the psychostimulants in depressed cancer patients.
Related Concept Videos
Treatment Resistant Cancers
Combination Therapies and Personalized Medicine
The combination of the drug acetazolamide and sulforaphane is a good example of combination therapy to treat cancer. The cells in the interior of a large tumor often die due to the hypoxic and...
Antidepressant Drugs: Overview
Antidepressant Drugs: Tricyclics, SSRIs, and SNRIs
Antidepressant Drugs: MAOIs and Other Agents
Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting: 5-HT3 Receptor Antagonists