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Not yet recruitingPhase 2

MB-PAT for Demoralization in Advanced Cancer ('PAT-MIND') Trial

NCT07791901 · PAT-MIND · University of Calgary

Closed to entry
Status
Not accepting participants
Phase 2
Phase
60
Target enrolment
2
Study sites
Outside the US

What it is testing

Summary

This pilot clinical trial will study psilocybin-assisted therapy for adults with advanced cancer who are experiencing demoralization, existential distress, or related psychological concerns. Demoralization can include feelings of hopelessness, helplessness, loss of meaning, and distress related to illness or end of life. The purpose of this study is to assess whether a hybrid group-based psilocybin-assisted therapy program is feasible, acceptable, and safe in adults with advanced cancer. The study will also explore which combination of psilocybin dose and psychotherapy approach may be most promising for a future larger trial. Participants will be randomly assigned by wave to one of four intervention combinations: 25 mg psilocybin with mindfulness-based psilocybin-assisted therapy, 25 mg psilocybin with standard psilocybin-assisted therapy, 5 mg psilocybin with mindfulness-based psilocybin-assisted therapy, or 5 mg psilocybin with standard psilocybin-assisted therapy. The psilocybin dose will be blinded, meaning participants and some members of the study team will not know which dose was assigned. Psychotherapy approach will not be blinded. The study will enroll at least 60 participants across Calgary and Kingston.

Summary as written by the trial’s own sponsor and published on ClinicalTrials.gov API v2. It is the sponsor’s description, reproduced unedited, not an assessment by this site.

What counts as success

Primary outcome measures

  • Overall Trial Feasibility Based on Prespecified RED/YELLOW/GREEN Progression Criteria

    Measured over From initial referral/screening through the 3-month follow-up (A5), up to approximately 4 months

  • Incidence of Adverse Events (AEs)

    Measured over From informed consent through the 3-month follow-up (A5), approximately up to 4 months

A trial succeeds or fails on its primary outcome, declared in advance. Everything else it reports is secondary by definition.

Who can take part

Eligibility, as published

18 Years
Ages
All
Sex
Not accepted
Healthy volunteers
Inclusion Criteria: * Written informed consent provided before any study-specific procedures. * Age 18 years or older. * Diagnosis of advanced cancer: Stage III-IV or metastatic solid tumor. Stage II cancer may be eligible if the treating oncologist confirms advanced/refractory disease with clinically significant existential burden, defined as a Demoralization Scale-II (DS-II) score ≥11. * Clinical life expectancy of at least 6 months. Borderline cases of approximately 5-6 months may be considered based on Principal Investigator judgment and documentation. * Demoralization Scale-II (DS-II) total score ≥4 at screening, or DS-II total score ≥3 with documented clinical impression of significant existential distress. * Willing and cognitively able to complete at least 2 preparation sessions, 1 in-person dosing session, and at least 2 integration sessions over approximately 6-8 weeks. * Sufficient spoken and written English proficiency to provide informed consent, participate in group therapy, and complete participant-reported outcome measures. * Not pregnant or lactating. Participants of childbearing potential must have a negative pregnancy test at screening and comply with protocol-specified contraception requirements. * A responsible adult, such as a family member, friend, or caregiver, must be available to accompany the participant or be on-call for at least 12 hours following the dosing session. Exclusion Criteria: Psychiatric/Psychological: * Active or high-risk suicidality, defined as Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) item 4 or 5 within the past 4 weeks, or a suicide attempt within the past 12 months. Passive death wishes and suicidal ideation without intent are not exclusionary. * Current psychotic disorder or active psychotic symptoms, including schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, hallucinations, delusions, or thought disorganization. Historical psychosis in sustained remission may be considered on a case-by-case basis by the Principal Investigator. * Current manic or mixed-state episode. Stable, euthymic bipolar disorder on maintenance pharmacotherapy may be permitted with Principal Investigator judgment and documentation. * Moderate-to-severe active alcohol, stimulant, or opioid use disorder within the past 12 months. Severe uncontrolled cannabis use disorder is exclusionary; stable prescribed cannabis use is permitted. Pharmacological/Drug Interactions: * Use of concomitant medications that does not meet the requirements of the protocol-specified Concomitant Medications Policy. * Known allergy, anaphylaxis, or serious hypersensitivity to psilocybin, psilocin, related tryptamines, or capsule excipients. Medical: * Severe hepatic impairment, defined as a current unstable diagnosis of liver disease with AST or ALT \>5 times the upper limit of normal and clinical symptoms. * Severe renal impairment, including current unstable acute kidney injury or advanced kidney disease (CKD Stage 4) with eGFR \<30 mL/min/1.73 m². * Unstable cardiovascular disease, including myocardial infarction or stroke within the past 3 months, decompensated heart failure (NYHA III-IV), or uncontrolled arrhythmia. Elevated blood pressure on dosing day may require dosing deferral and reassessment according to protocol-defined thresholds. * Seizure within the past 12 months or currently uncontrolled epilepsy. Well-controlled epilepsy with no seizures for more than 12 months on stable therapy may be permitted with monitoring. * Uncontrolled diabetes, including unstable Type 1 diabetes with diabetic ketoacidosis within the past 3 months, or Type 2 diabetes with HbA1c \>11% and symptomatic hyperglycemia. * Any medical, neurological, or psychiatric condition, or concurrent cancer-directed therapy, that in the Principal Investigator's clinical judgment would materially increase risk or prevent meaningful protocol participation. Cancer Treatment-Related: * Systemic anti-cancer therapy that does not meet protocol requirements. Chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and targeted therapy are permitted when the regimen is stable, treatment-related toxicities are CTCAE Grade 2 or lower, and protocol-specified timing requirements before psilocybin dosing are met. * Opioid analgesic or corticosteroid use that does not meet protocol requirements. Opioids must be on a stable dose for at least 1 week without opioid-induced delirium or clinically significant respiratory compromise. Corticosteroids must generally be stable for at least 2 weeks; high-dose dexamethasone for acute central nervous system edema requires dosing to be deferred until clinically stable.

Where

2 study sites

FacilityCityRegionCountry
Arthur Child Comprehensive Cancer CentreCalgaryAlbertaCanada
Providence Care HospitalKingstonOntarioCanada

On the registry

Contact the trial directly

This site does not enrol anyone and is not involved in this trial. To ask about taking part, use the sponsor’s own contact details on the official registry record, which is also where the most current version of everything above lives.

Before you do, the preparation checklist lists what a site will ask you on a first call and what is worth asking them. It is free and collects nothing.

NCT07791901 on ClinicalTrials.gov →

Last updated in the registry 2026-09-02. Registry records change; this page reflects the data build of 2026-09-24.

Related

Where this trial sits