Researchers at the Huntsman Cancer Institute and the Huntsman Mental Health Institute (HMHI) at the University of Utah (USA) are conducting a clinical trial testing a new form of psychotherapy for people diagnosed with late-stage cancer. Such patients may experience severe psychological distress after being diagnosed.

This form of therapy combines the use of the anesthetic ketamine with talk therapy to help people suffering from existential anxiety, a condition in which a person experiences deep emotional discomfort associated with the awareness of one's own mortality, the loss of meaning in life, and a reevaluation of one's values ​​and goals. Traditional mental health treatments may not always fully meet the needs of such patients.