Novel Therapeutic Strategies for Delirium in Patients With Cancer: A Preliminary Study

To compare the efficacy of antipsychotics (APs) for delirium treatment in patients with cancer, 27 patients treated with 1 of the 4 APs, haloperidol (HPD), risperidone (RIS), olanzapine (OLZ), and quetiapine (QTP), were divided into 2 groups: long half-life (T1/2; HPD, RIS, and OLZ) versus short T1/2 (QTP) or the multiacting receptor-targeted APs (MARTAs; OLZ and QTP) versus the non-MARTA (HPD and RIS). The symptom severity was evaluated by the memorial delirium rating scale (MDAS) on days 0, 3, and 7 following intervention. Significant improvements in total MDAS scores were found in all groups on day 3. However, on day 7, only the short T1/2 group and MARTA group showed significant improvement. Consideration of an AP’s pharmacological properties may be helpful for improving the outcomes of pharmacological delirium intervention in patients with cancer.