SSRIs linked to reduced mortality in immunotherapy patients

A study published in PLOS Medicine suggests that the use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) is associated with a 37 percent reduction in the two-year mortality rate for oncology patients receiving immunotherapy.

Researchers from the Tri-Service General Hospital and the National Defense Medical University in Taiwan conducted the study using the TriNetX electronic health record network, which contains data from over 187 million people. The study focused on adults with solid tumors who began immunotherapy between 2015 and 2025 and had a prior diagnosis of depression or anxiety. To isolate the effect of the antidepressants, researchers compared patients on active SSRI prescriptions, such as fluoxetine, sertraline, or escitalopram, against a control group treated with benzodiazepines.