Cannabis Effective as a Palliative Treatment Option for Cancer Patients

by | Apr 29, 2021 | 2018, Alternative Therapies, Cancer, CBD

Written by Angeline A. De Leon, Staff Writer. Study results show that medical cannabis, when used as a palliative treatment for cancer patients, appears to be a well-tolerated, effective and safe option for patients coping with malignancy related symptoms.

cancerIn the U.S., reports estimate almost 13 million new cancer cases each year 1. Despite advances in treatment options, many cancer patients still suffer inadequate pain relief with opioids 2,3, and the side effects associated with chemotherapy, including nausea and vomiting, remain a burden. Palliative treatment for cancer patients focuses on alleviating pain, nausea, and general discomfort. Over the last few years, medical cannabis has become a valuable treatment option for some of the key symptoms associated with cancer 4,5. Evidence from the literature suggests that cannabis is effective in diminishing chronic and neuropathic pain in patients with advanced cancer, although optimal dosage is still a current topic of study 6. With the globalization of medical cannabis for cancer and other diseases, Israel passed the legalization of cannabis for the palliative treatment of cancer symptoms in 2007. However, given the heterogeneity of symptoms, conditions, and characteristics among cancer patients seeking out cannabis treatment, as well as the lack of data regarding the efficacy of cannabis-based therapy in these different cancer groups, researchers in Israel (2018) sought to investigate the epidemiology of cancer patients receiving medical cannabis and evaluate the efficacy profile of cannabis.7

Data was collected from 2,970 cancer patients (mean age = 59.5 years) who were treated with medical cannabis between 2015 and 2018 at the largest national medical cannabis clinic in Israel. At one and six months after the initiation of individual cancer treatment programs, participants completed a telephone interview assessing changes in symptom intensity, underlying disease condition, quality of life, and side effects (including physiological effects such as headaches, weakness, nausea, etc., and cognitive effects such as restlessness, disorientation, memory issues, etc.). Patients were asked: “how would you rate the general effect of cannabis on your condition?”, with treatment success at six months defined as moderate to significant improvement in patient’s condition and the absence of serious side effects. An 11-point scale was used to assess pain level and quality of life was assessed using Likert scales ranging from “very poor” to “very good”.

During the study period, 20.7% of patients reported breast cancer, 13.6% lung, 8.1% pancreatic, and 7.9% colorectal, with 51.2% being diagnosed at Stage 4. At baseline, patients reported an average of 11.1 +/- 7.5 symptoms, with the main symptoms being sleep problems (78.4%), pain (77.7% suffering a median intensity of 8/11), weakness (72.7%), nausea (64.6%), and lack of appetite (48.9%). At 6-month follow-up, 902 patients (24.9%) passed away and 682 (18.8%) terminated treatment. Of the remaining, 1,211 who responded, 50.8% reporting significant improvement, 45.1% reporting slight to moderate improvement, and 4% reporting no positive effect. At the end of six months, the percentage of patients reporting a pain intensity of 8-10 on an 11-point scale improved from 52.9% to 4.6% (p < 0.001), and the percentage of patients reporting good quality of life changed from 18.7% to 69.5% (p < 0.001) at the end of the study. Among the most improved symptoms were nausea and vomiting (91%), sleep disorders (87.5%), restlessness (87.5%), anxiety and depression (84.2%), and headaches (81.4%).

Overall, results of the study support cannabis as a safe, effective, and well-tolerated palliative treatment option for cancer patients. Researchers showed that 6 months of treatment with medical cannabis improved pain levels and quality of life, supporting patients’ ability to cope with symptoms of cancer and cancer treatment-related symptoms. Given that the present study was based on an observational design without a control group, a causal link between medical cannabis therapy and improved wellbeing in patients cannot be established. It should also be noted that improvement of symptoms may have been due to completion of the chemotherapy treatment program and not necessarily because of cannabis intake. In general, however, findings support the therapeutic application of medical cannabis for core symptoms associated with cancer and its beneficial impact across various types of cancer.

Source: Schleider LB, Mechoulam R, Lederman V, et al. Prospective analysis of safety and efficacy of medical cannabis in large unselected population of patients with cancer. European Journal of Internal Medicine. 2018; 49: 37-43. DOI: 10/1016/j.ejim.2018.01.023.

© 2018 European Federation of Internal Medicine.

Posted January 7, 2019.

Angeline A. De Leon, MA, graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2010, completing a bachelor’s degree in psychology, with a concentration in neuroscience. She received her master’s degree from The Ohio State University in 2013, where she studied clinical neuroscience within an integrative health program. Her specialized area of research involves the complementary use of neuroimaging and neuropsychology-based methodologies to examine how lifestyle factors, such as physical activity and meditation, can influence brain plasticity and enhance overall connectivity.

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