Randomized controlled study of duloxetine and fluoxetine in cancer patients with depression

AIM To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of duloxetine for the treatment of cancer patients with depression.METHODS Sixty cancer patients with depression were assigned into duloxetine and fluoxetine groups(n=30,each) in a open,randomized,prospective trial,and were treated for 6 wk. Clinical effectiveness,quality of life and adverse reactions were assessed with the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD),Hamilton Anxiety Scale(HAMA),Karnofsky Scale(KPS),and Treatment Emergent Symptom Scale(TESS),respectively.RESULTS Compared with pre-treatment,the scores of HAMD and HAMA in duloxetine group decreased significantly since 1-week treatment,and those scores in fluoxetine group decreased significantly since 2-week treatment(P0.05).There were significant difference in the scores of HAMD and HAMA between the two groups at the end of 1 wk and 2 wk(P0.05).No differences were observed in efficiency,improvement of quality of life and adverse reactions between the two groups at the end of 6 wk(P0.05).CONCLUSION Duloxetine is a safe,effective and rapidly acting antidepressant in cancer patients with depression.