Pilot study: fluvoxamine treatment for depression and anxiety disorders in children and adolescents with cancer.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the safety, tolerability, and benefit of fluvoxamine for the treatment of major depressive disorder or anxiety disorders in children and adolescents with cancer.


METHODS
The study was conducted from 2001 to 2004 at a pediatric hematology-oncology center. Fifteen children and adolescents with cancer were treated with fluvoxamine 100 mg/day in an open prospective 8-week trial. Safety and tolerability were evaluated at baseline and at weeks 4 and 8 by blood tests and the Side Effects Checklist. Clinical benefit was assessed with the Clinical Global Impressions-Improvement, the Children's Depression Rating Scale-Revised, and the Pediatric Anxiety Rating Scale.


RESULTS
Fluvoxamine was well tolerated by all subjects. Psychiatric symptoms improved significantly.


CONCLUSIONS
In this open trial, fluvoxamine appeared to be well tolerated and was associated with a promising reduction in the depression and anxiety symptoms of pediatric patients with cancer.
Gothelf
Doron
D
Feinberg Department of Child Psychiatry, Schneider Children's Medical Center of Israel, Petah Tiqwa, Israel. gothelf@post.tau.ac.il
Rubinstein
Maly
M
Shemesh
Eyal
E
Miller
Orit
O
Farbstein
Ilana
I
Klein
Anat
A
Weizman
Abraham
A
Apter
Alan
A
Yaniv
Isaac
I
D000293:Adolescent; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018687:Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002648:Child; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016666:Fluvoxamine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012803:Sick Role
D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D018687:Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation; D016666:Fluvoxamine; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors