In brief
- Six women with cancer received a single dose of ayahuasca in a single-blind feasibility study.
- Symptoms of depression and anxiety decreased significantly, with effects lasting up to three weeks.
- No serious adverse effects were reported, though the sample size was minimal and there was no control group.
A research team has published a pilot study in the Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology regarding the use of ayahuasca in people with cancer. With only six participants, the work describes significant reductions in depressive and anxious symptoms following a single session, with no serious adverse effects.
A feasibility design, not an efficacy trial
The study is a single-blind, proof-of-concept feasibility trial authored by Maekawa, Guerra, Villanova, de Paula, Zacharias, Rodrigues, Reis, Rossi, Bouso, Hallak, and Dos Santos. It included six women with symptoms of depression and anxiety associated with a cancer diagnosis. The authors begin with a known fact: these symptoms are very common in oncology patients, worsen their quality of life, and available therapeutic options remain limited.
Ayahuasca, a psychedelic preparation traditionally used in Amazonian ritual contexts, had already shown rapid antidepressant and anxiolytic effects after a single administration in previous work. This study explores whether that pattern can be translated to a specific population: patients with cancer.
What was measured and what was observed
Symptoms were evaluated before the session and then at one, two, and three weeks, and at three months. Three questionnaires were used: the Beck Depression Inventory-II, the PHQ-9, and the Beck Anxiety Inventory.
According to the authors, symptoms of depression and anxiety were significantly reduced, and the improvement was maintained for up to three weeks after the dose. No serious adverse effects were reported. Furthermore, those who had more intense experiences—both affective and subjective—during the session were associated with greater improvements in depressive symptoms.
The abstract of the paper mentions a three-month follow-up, but only specifies the effect up to three weeks. It is best read as follows: what is claimed as sustained improvement reaches that point.
What it implies
The conclusions themselves call for caution. Six participants, all women, without a comparison group and with a single-blind design, leave very little room for generalization. A change in questionnaires without a placebo does not allow for the separation of the substance’s effect from expectations, the support provided, or the context of the session itself. The authors conclude that larger, placebo-controlled studies are needed.
What is interesting is the direction: the relationship between the intensity of the experience and the improvement aligns with what other psychedelic studies have been pointing toward, although here it is supported by a very small number of people. To place this study within the body of research, you can see our map of ayahuasca and DMT trials, and the Psychedelics Guide on ayahuasca and DMT provides the rest of the context.
Source
- Maekawa RM et al. Single-Dose Ayahuasca for Depressive and Anxiety Symptoms Associated With Cancer Diagnosis: A Single-Blind Feasibility Proof-of-Concept Trial. Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology, September 18, 2026.
Educational content written from a harm reduction perspective and with respect for individual freedom. It is not a substitute for advice from a healthcare professional and is not intended to encourage or condemn any drug use.
