Effect of Cannabis in Patients with Cancer Under Palliative Care

May 10, 2022by Phenix Health

Effect of Cannabis in Patients with Cancer: A recent study aims to determine the effect of cannabis on the symptom burden of cancer patients under palliative care. It involved 2,960 cancer patients, who were interviewed for one month and six months.

The study found that more than 60% of the patients reported improvement in their quality of life after the use of cannabis. The researchers suggest that these results will be useful for determining the efficacy of the medicine.

Effect of Cannabis in Patients with Cancer

The study focused on the pain of patients under palliative care in a large cohort. It found that 52.9% reported pain scores between 8 and 10 before treatment, whereas only 4.6% did so at the six-month assessment. However, these improvements may have been a result of the treatment and cannabis.

The researchers looked at eight different symptoms to determine the impact of cannabis on the pain of cancer patients. The findings suggested that the cannabis treatment improved the overall quality of life of patients in the trial.

The study also concluded that cannabis could improve the patient’s quality of life. Marijuana is a natural compound that affects the brain’s endocannabinoid system, which controls the body’s metabolism. Its primary cannabinoid, THC, has psychoactive effects and is associated with relaxation.

Effect of Cannabis in Patients with Cancer

CBD, on the other hand, has no psychoactive effects but has anti-inflammatory properties. It inhibits the production of prostaglandins, which are produced by the body in response to inflammation. It also acts on the pain-sensing pathways in the brain.

The researchers analyzed the patients’ pain and their quality of life. They found that cannabis was effective for relieving nausea, vomiting, and anxiety in one third of the cases. The results showed that the treatment helped patients cope better with the pain and improved quality of life.

The researchers concluded that the use of cannabis by cancer patients under palliative care should be widely adopted, especially as it is already legal in many places.

Because the use of cannabis is illegal, most patients with cancer under palliative care are not advised to use it. It can worsen their situation and worsen their condition. It is vital that physicians provide accurate information about cannabis’ benefits and risks for cancer patients.

It will help to reduce the occurrence of undesired and illegal marijuana in the patient population. This will allow health care providers to manage expectations and increase the quality of life of these patients.

The results of the study show that cannabis can significantly reduce neuropathic pain caused by chemotherapy. The study’s findings are inconsistent. Only one randomized control trial compared cannabis to placebo in patients with prostate cancer.

It is important to note that the study is limited to the two-year observation of patients under palliative care. The researchers did not examine the effect of cannabis on pain in cancer-patients under palliative care.

In the study, the use of cannabis decreased the opioid doses of cancer patients with advanced disease. It decreased the number of patients who used opioids. After the study, 36% of patients stopped taking opioids.

Ninety percent reduced their dosages. The results of this study are promising and will lead to more research. This will ultimately help to decide whether the use of Cannabis is safe for cancer patients.

A retrospective cohort study in Israel, involving nearly 3,000 cancer patients, found that cannabis reduced sleep problems, fatigue, anxiety, depression, and nausea. In addition, it significantly decreased the rate of nausea and vomiting.

More than sixty percent of the patients reported an improved quality of life after using cannabis. The study also reported that the treatment did not increase their overall survival rates. The authors noted that the studies are preliminary and should be replicated in larger studies.

The study also found that marijuana could alleviate the symptoms of cancer patients. The drug relieved both physical and spiritual suffering in cancer patients. It was especially effective for easing the pain of the patients who had recently received immunotherapy.

The researchers recommend that cannabis be used only by people who are undergoing chemotherapy. It may reduce the risks of various diseases and improve the quality of life of people with chronic illnesses.

Phenix Health

References:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31873991/

Brain tumor https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31385997/

Chronic pain management https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29134767/