Breast cancer patients consume cannabis, but many are missing this important step

Cannabis has long been used to treat cancer symptoms. But now a new survey shows that many patients still do not share this information with their doctors.

The survey was conducted online and anonymously with over 600 breast cancer patients. While the vast majority of respondents were women, some men also took part in the survey. The responses were collected through Breastcancer.org and Healthline.com.

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According to the results of the survey, 42% of participants said they used cannabis to treat their symptoms such as vomiting, pain, nausea, insomnia, stress, and more. The survey found that 39% of participants reported their doctors about cannabis use, but only 4% of them asked additional questions in order to get more information about the drug from their doctors. Instead, according to the participants, sources such as friends, the Internet or pharmacies were used.

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As for the reason these patients turned to cannabis, the majority of participants (70%) thought the drug was an alternative treatment that was similar to herbal medicine and had fewer side effects than the “chemicals” often found in other drugs .

Dr. Marisa Weiss, lead author of the study, spoke to NBC News and shared some of her findings about the study. She said that while it was okay for people to use cannabis to treat their cancer symptoms, she was concerned that her doctors were not up to date. “Some of these products can interact with treatments they are taking and there is a safety issue there,” she said. “We want to make sure that they are relieved of their symptoms without affecting the treatments.”

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While it is understandable for doctors not to know everything about medicinal cannabis, it is important that as the availability of the drug increases, they have all the information to help them guide their patients, including the possible side effects of choosing an alternative treatment such as cannabis . Patients should be open to their doctors, but it is the responsibility of doctors to research the topics that their patients might use to treat their diseases.