Pancreatic cancer and chemotherapy and CBD

Which of the cancers do you think is the hardest to fight? Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest cancers worldwide in terms of overall survival rate. Now research has given a small glimmer of hope for pancreatic cancer and chemo and CBD.

According to the American Cancer Society, the one-year survival rate for all stages of pancreatic cancer is 20% and the five-year survival rate is less than seven percent. Although certain cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation are commonly used, a recent study found that combining chemotherapy and cannabidiol (CBD) treatments resulted in significant pancreatic cancer survival rates.

Research findings on cancer treatments with cannabidiol (CBD) and chemotherapy

In the current study mentioned above, mice diagnosed with pancreatic cancer were given CBD in addition to chemotherapy treatments. As a result of this combination, it was found that the mice with CBD and chemotherapy treatments survived almost three times longer than the mice treated with chemotherapy alone.

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In general, the results of this study provide a stronger case for human testing. Although this study has not yet been conducted on humans, the published results demonstrate the need to further study and investigate cannabis compounds, particularly CBD.

Dismal survival rates for pancreatic cancer

Overall, pancreatic cancer is the twelfth most common cancer worldwide. Additionally, this type of cancer is most common in developed countries. Unfortunately, the overall survival rate for pancreatic cancer is quite dismal. Specifically, Marco Falasca, a senior researcher at Queen Mary University of London, said the following about pancreatic cancer life expectancy:

“The life expectancy of patients with pancreatic cancer has hardly changed in the last 40 years because there are very few and mostly only palliative medical treatment options available. Given that the five-year survival rate for people with pancreatic cancer is less than seven percent, the discovery of new treatments and therapeutic strategies is urgently needed.”

With this in mind, based on the recent mouse study results, there is an urgent need to further investigate CBD and its potential in treating various types of cancer, particularly pancreatic cancer.

The medicinal and anti-cancer properties of cannabidiol

So far, CBD has been found to be an extremely medically useful cannabinoid and has both anti-tumor and neuroprotective properties that can help those diagnosed with cancer. However, CBD has also shown anti-nausea and anti-emetic (anti-vomiting) properties. These properties have proven to be very effective in patients undergoing chemotherapy and other cancer-related therapies. In addition, cannabidiol has been found to reduce side effects caused by chemotherapy, particularly vomiting, nausea and pain.

If human testing is conducted on the combined subject of pancreatic cancer, CBD and chemotherapy treatments, it would build on previous findings from animal studies. In particular, one study discovered the possible anti-cancer properties of CBD, and another study found that CBD could be a potential cancer drug.

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Legality of CBD in the United States and the United Kingdom

Additionally, due to the differences in cannabis legality between America and the UK, it is likely that human trials focusing on CBD will progress more quickly in the UK than in the US. The reason for this is that the cannabis plant currently remains an illegal Schedule I substance in the United States, and CBD is a cannabinoid found in the cannabis plant. In the United Kingdom, however, CBD is approved for use and research purposes.

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Therefore, researchers and scientists based in England can use this cannabinoid, according to Dr. Legally testing Falasca in human clinical trials. Still, things are slowly but surely progressing in the US, especially because the US FDA recently approved a CBD-based drug called Epidiolex for the treatment of epilepsy. This specific drug approval was a significant step as it is the first FDA-approved drug containing a cannabis-derived cannabinoid in the United States.

Overall, since pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest cancers, it would be in the best interest of the public to have access to a natural form of cancer treatment medicine such as CBD, and not just chemotherapy and radiation. Due to the remarkable results published from the mouse study discussed above, it is likely that cannabidiol will be further studied and investigated in the future, particularly for cancer treatment purposes.