According to the latest medical study, cannabis is beneficial for patients with advanced cancer

Cannabis is beneficial for patients with advanced cancer, according to a new study

The capital C has a tremendous impact on society and families around the world.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were over 1,750,000 new cancer cases in 2019 alone, and about a third of those died from cancer. Unfortunately, there is still no known cure for cancer, despite advances in medical technology saving more and more lives. But cancer patients and their families still have to deal with hardships: treatments with side effects, expensive and addictive drugs for pain, poor quality of life, and emotional anguish.

But maybe cannabis can make things a little easier.

Researchers at Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse attempted to analyze how patients with advanced cancer responded to medical marijuana treatment.

Study participants were enrolled in the New York MMJ registry. “The aim of this study was to review the characteristics of patients who received medical marijuana in our outpatient palliative care program and to identify barriers to access and use of medical marijuana in this population,” the study states.

“Data from June 2017 to June 2020 were analyzed. Patients were included if they had been diagnosed with cancer, were certified by a qualified practitioner in the New York Medical Marijuana Program, and were treated at Upstate Medical University. “Patients were excluded if no marijuana certificate was found or if they referred care.”

The researchers found that advanced cancer patients who used medicinal cannabis experienced positive effects. “93 patients (51.5%) received at least one prescription from a New York licensed marijuana dispensary, while 72 (39.13%) were certified but never received medical marijuana,” they wrote. “In patients who took at least one dose of medical marijuana, 48.14% experienced pain relief, 44.95% used fewer opioids, and 85.11% had an improvement in at least one symptom. Side effects were low at 3.72%,” the study said.

The research adds that “medical marijuana appears to play an important role in relieving symptoms of advanced cancers with few side effects.” The researchers also called for further studies to determine the optimal dose and administration for patients.

Cannabis for cancer treatment shows promise

There is still much that even experts are unsure about when it comes to understanding how cannabis can help with cancer. A few other aspects can make it a bit more complicated, like the cannabinoids used and the type of cancer.

In another recent study from Israel, researchers looked at the cancer symptoms of several hundred patients over a 6-month period. They found statistical improvements in symptoms and a significant decrease in their need for pain medication.

The researchers concluded that cannabis was associated with a reduction in cancer symptoms, a reduction in prescription drug use, and a better quality of life. Almost half of the cancer patients who completed the studies no longer needed pain medication. “The most important finding of the current study is that most comorbid cancer symptoms improved significantly during the six-month CD [medical cannabis] Treatment…. In addition, we found that CD treatment was well tolerated and safe in cancer patients.”

There are also over 100 natural cannabinoids that we all need to learn about, meaning there is no one-size-fits-all approach to using cannabis to treat cancer.

The American Cancer Society recognizes that THC and CBD can cause cancer cell death or slow cancer cell growth. They can also prevent the spread of cancer. They are based on early human clinical trials. “While previous studies have shown that cannabinoids may be safe in treating cancer, they do not show that they help control or cure the disease,” they say. Certainly more research is needed to maximize cannabis’ therapeutic abilities, although there are many anecdotal cases of individuals saying cannabis has helped treat their cancer.

There are several studies supporting the therapeutic properties of cannabinoids for cancer patients. In fact, cancer patients can benefit from cannabis use in several ways:

• Managing the Side Effects of Chemotherapy and Radiation: Chemotherapy and radiation are among the most common and successful conventional cancer treatments. However, they can produce several unpleasant side effects such as nausea, pain and loss of appetite. Many patients also have difficulty completing chemotherapy and radiation treatments because of the discomfort it causes.

Cannabis has been shown to successfully help cancer patients manage these conditions: it reduces nausea, improves appetite, relieves pain, and helps improve sleep. All of this is critical to healing. In addition, several studies have shown that the use of cannabis along with chemotherapy significantly improves prognosis.

• Cannabis can kill cancer cells without affecting healthy cells. While chemotherapy also kills healthy cells in the process, cannabis does not. In a laboratory study, cancer researcher Dr. Matt Dun collaborated with the Australian Natural Therapeutics Group (ANTG) to develop a marijuana strain with less than 1% THC and high CBD levels. They found that this combination was effective in killing cancer cells.

“The CBD strain appears to have greater potency, low toxicity, and fewer side effects, potentially making it an ideal adjunctive therapy to combine with other anticancer drugs,” says Dr. dun.

Conclusion

Recent studies on marijuana for cancer are hopeful, and patients interested in investigating the use of cannabis for cancer are advised to speak to their doctors. They may be able to offer a dosing and administration method that works best for your specific medical needs.

CANNABIS OIL FOR LATE STAGE CANCER, READ MORE…

CANNABIS OIL HELPS LATE-STAGE CANCER PATIENTS GAIN WEIGHT