Magic mushrooms 'could help women deal with cancer-related depression'

Conventional therapies to help women cope with their diagnosis and treatment can take too long, they said, as they announced the launch of a new study to examine how the drugs could help patients.

Those diagnosed with gynaecological cancers can face "various physical and psychological challenges", particularly for those diagnosed at a late stage or are suffering from chronic side effects of treatment, according to an article published in the International Journal of Gynaecological Cancer.

Up to a quarter of ovarian cancer patients report depression, anxiety, and death anxiety, they said.

The authors, from the University of Texas, highlight a case of a mother of two children who was diagnosed with advanced ovarian cancer.

"Her fear of the future was real and overwhelming," they said.