Citalopram lessened depression associated with head and neck cancer

Depressive symptoms often associated with the treatment of head and neck cancer may be prevented with the use of the selective serotonin uptake inhibitor citalopram if taken before treatment, according to recent study results.

Researchers from Nebraska randomly assigned patients with head and neck cancer to receive 40 mg of citalopram daily (n=15) or placebo (n=13) for 12 weeks. During the trial, patients underwent treatment for their cancer and received depression screening every four weeks. Depression was assessed using the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, psychiatric interview and the University of Washington Quality of Life and Clinician Global Impression-Severity (CGI-S) scales.

At week 12, 22 patients were assessed; 23 completed a final study visit at week 16. Less depression was recorded in the treatment group (17%) compared with the placebo group (50%). None of the patients in the citalopram arm were suicidal, compared with two in the placebo group, according to the researchers.

Sixty percent of patients in the placebo group rated their global mood state according to the CGI-S scale as at least mildly ill compared with 15% of patients in the citalopram group (P=.04).

According to self-administered questionnaires, quality of life worsened in both groups, but less so for patients in the treatment group. – by Stacey L. Adams

Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2008;134:528-535.