Psychophysiologic Aspects of Malignancy
CHARLES GOLDFARB M.D.1,
JEROME DRIESEN M.D.2, , and
DONALD COLE M.D.3
1 Chief, Inpatient Service, Reiss Mental Health Pavilion, St. Vincent's Hospital and Medical Center of New York 144 W. 12th Street, New York, N. Y. 10011
2 Senior Psychiatric Resident, St. Vincent's Hospital and Medical Center of New York 144 W. 12th Street, New York, N. Y. 10011
3 Chief, Cancer Chemotherapy, Department of Surgery, St. Vincent's Hospital and Medical Center of New York 144 W. 12th Street, New York, N. Y. 10011
Three patients with advanced carcinomatosis and concomitant depression were treated with ECT and cancer chemotherapy. All three experienced positive cancerocidal effects, although in one case they were short-lived. Possible explanations for these results are discussed in the light of previous reports of certain psychodynamic and biochemical similarities between cancer patients and depressed patients.
