2025 Psychopharmacology in Cancer Care: An Update for Clinicians of All Disciplines — On Demand

Clinicians have a range of tools to support adult cancer patients experiencing depression, anxiety, and other psychiatric symptoms related to cancer. While psychiatric medications are commonly prescribed by oncologists and general practitioners, these conditions are often underrecognized and undertreated—particularly in oncology settings that lack dedicated psychiatric support.

This annual program, held April 5, 2025 and co-sponsored by the MSK Psycho-Oncology Education and Training Institute (POETI), is now available on demand and designed for both non-prescribing psycho-oncology clinicians and psychiatrists who are new to psychopharmaco-oncology. It is also highly relevant for oncologists, palliative care providers, advanced practice nurses, and oncology nurses.

The course focuses on practical strategies for managing psychiatric and quality-of-life symptoms in cancer care, including:

• Depression, anxiety, delirium, sleep disturbances

• Fatigue, pain, weight and appetite changes

• Emerging treatments such as ketamine, medical marijuana, and psilocybin

• Medication side effects, drug interactions, and when to seek additional care

• The collaborative role of social work and psychosocial professionals in psycho-oncology

Participants will gain foundational knowledge of psychotropic medications, their appropriate use, risks, and integration with psychotherapy. The course helps clinicians recognize psychiatric symptoms, differentiate them from medical conditions or treatment effects, and effectively support patients from diagnosis through survivorship or end-of-life care.

See the live course brochure for a full list of topics and presentations you will have access to through this on demand.

1. Describe basic psycho-pharmaco-oncology principles for understanding and treating anxiety, depression and delirium in people with cancer.
2. Identify the use of novel interventions including ketamine, medical marijuana, and psilocybin for depression, anxiety, and pain in people with cancer.
3. Discuss basic psycho-pharmaco-oncology principles for understanding and improving quality of life and psychiatric palliative care in people with cancer, including managing cognitive changes, insomnia, fatigue, poor appetite and weight loss, and pain.

Access to the course content requires registration. Once registered, all materials, including instructions for claiming credit, are located under the 'Course Content' tab. For those that purchase this on demand, access to the content and the opportunity to claim credit, will be available through December 31, 2025. To enroll, please click the 'Register' tab at the top of the page.

On Demand Access Fees

— Physicians (MDs, PhDs, and DOs): $200
— Residents, Fellows, Advanced Practice Providers, Nurses, Psychologists, Social Workers, Counselors, and Other Healthcare Providers: $125

MSK Employees: Fees, as indicated above, apply for MSK employees to access this on demand program. If you prefer a complimentary option, you are invited to attend the live course coming in Spring 2026 at no cost. Click here to sign up for announcements and to be notified when registration opens for the live program.

Discounted registration is available for specific groups, including complimentary registration for health professional students and registrants who reside in low and lower-middle income countries If eligible, you will receive further instructions and a promotion code to use during registration. View our Policy on Registration Discounts for more information.

Please note that after your payment has been processed, no further promotional discounts or adjustments will be made to your registration.

This Memorial Sloan Kettering Continuing Medical Education on demand program is non-refundable. For details please review our Cancellation Policy.

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

AMA Credit Designation Statement

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center designates this enduring material for a maximum of 7.50 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Recorded/Review Date: April 5, 2025; Original Release Date: May 9, 2025; Termination Date: December 31, 2025

Course Director 

Yesne Alici, MD
Vice Chair for Clinical Operations; Clinical Director;
Associate Attending Psychiatrist, Psychiatry Service,
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

 

Course Co-Director 

William S. Breitbart, MD
Attending Psychiatrist; Chair,
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences;
Attending Psychiatrist, Supportive Care Service,
Department of Medicine
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

 

Course Faculty 

Erik Bengtsen, MD
Director of Clinical Operations, Manhattan Ambulatory
Sites; Assistant Attending Psychiatrist, Psychiatry Service,
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Christian Bjerre Real, MD, MMCI, FAPA
Founder and Psychiatrist, Alta Psychiatry PLLC;
Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry
NYU Grossman School of Medicine

Natalie Moryl (Khojainova), MD
Attending Physician, Supportive Care Service,
Addiction Medicine, Department of Medicine
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Andrew Roth, MD
Emeritus Attending Psychiatrist, Psychiatry Service
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Christine Wilkins, PhD
Director, Social Work
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Faculty Disclosures

Mitigation of Relevant Financial Relationships

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center adheres to the ACCME’s Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education. Any individuals in a position to control the content of a CE activity, including faculty, planners, reviewers, or others are required to disclose all financial relationships with ineligible companies (commercial interests). All relevant financial relationships have been mitigated prior to the commencement of the activity.