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 course is designed for the non-prescribing psycho-oncology clinician as well as the psychiatrist who is new to the world of Psycho-pharmaco-oncology. Oncologists, palliative care clinicians, advanced practice nurses, and oncology nurses will find this course useful as well. The course will focus on key target disorders and symptoms amenable to psychopharmacological intervention, including anxiety, depression, delirium, sleep disturbance, pain, fatigue, and weight and appetite loss. The course will also include updates on COVID-19-related delirium and the use of novel interventions including ketamine, medical marijuana, and psilocybin for depression, anxiety, and pain. Participants will learn to identify psychological reactions to medical conditions or treatments; psychiatric presentations of medical conditions or treatments; medical presentations of psychiatric conditions and common medical complications of psychiatric conditions or treatments.