title: Pros and cons of fluoxetine for the depressed cancer patient.
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.
authors.affiliation: Division of Medical/Surgical Psychiatry, University of Alabama, Birmingham.
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Shuster
authors.forename: T A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Stern
authors.forename: D B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Greenberg
mesh_terms: D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003863:Depression / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D005473:Fluoxetine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006207:Half-Life; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D005473:Fluoxetine