Cancer is one of the worst things that a human can ever endure. I have lost friends and family to cancer, and if you are reading this article, chances are that you have too. Seeing someone that you care about suffering from cancer and having to battle it is heartbreaking.
A growing number of cancer patients are turning to medical cannabis to help treat their conditions. Cannabis and cancer were the focus of a recent study conducted by researchers affiliated with the University of Kentucky. The study’s findings were published in the journal The Oncologist.
For the study, researchers surveyed 237 cancer patients to:
- Characterize patient symptoms that motivate personal cannabis use
- Compare urban and rural patterns of medical cannabis use
- Assess “concomitant use with opioids and gabapentin in an opioid-endemic region”
- Evaluate self-reported quality of life changes after medical cannabis use
“Of 237 participants, 121 (51%) reported lifetime unprescribed medicinal cannabis use. Recent use after cancer diagnosis was reported by 35 patients (14.7%) vs 30 (12.7%) before diagnosis (P = 0.0625).” the researchers found. “Users most commonly reported cannabis for pain, nausea, anxiety, depression, poor appetite, and sleep disturbance; at least 80% reported symptom and quality-of-life improvement. Recent users were more likely to reside in urban than rural areas.”
“Self-administration of unprescribed medicinal cannabis use was common across demographic groups and was primarily directed toward symptom management. This study demonstrates the feasibility of fully tablet-based research in rural oncology populations and provides novel data from an opioid-endemic region.” the researchers concluded.
A growing body of research suggests that cannabis can help cannabis patients. For example, a team of German researchers previously conducted a study examining lesser-known cannabinoids cannabigerol (CBG) and cannabichromene (CBC) and their effects on lung cancer cells. The researchers’ findings were published in the journal Antioxidants.
“The non-psychoactive phytocannabinoids CBG and CBC, which remain comparatively underexplored, were shown to induce pronounced pro-apoptotic effects and mitochondrial dysfunction in the human lung cancer cell lines A549 and H460, with CBG acting via the transcription factor PPARα to promote apoptotic cell death.” the researchers found.
Another recent study by a team of researchers based in South Africa and Canada examined medical cannabis use among prostate cancer patients. Their findings were published in the journal Medical Cannabis and Cannabinoids.
“Cannabinoid therapy, whether used independently or alongside chemotherapy, was associated with improved pain control and some indicators of tumour response, without evidence of harm.” the researchers concluded.
As always, cancer patients should consult with their doctor before trying any medical therapies, including medical cannabis.
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