Study: Medicinal cannabis may lead to reduced opioid dependence in advanced cancer patients
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According to a study published in the journal Cureus, patients with advanced cancer respond positively to medicinal cannabis.
Researchers at Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse evaluated the use of marijuana by cancer patients for palliative purposes.
“The aim of this study was to review the characteristics of patients who received medical marijuana in our outpatient palliative care program and to determine the barriers to access and use of medical marijuana in this population,” the study states .
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“Data from June 2017 to June 2020 were analyzed. Patients were included if they had a diagnosis of cancer, were certified by a qualified physician in the New York Medical Marijuana Program, and were treated at Upstate Medical University,” the study reads. “Patients were excluded if no marijuana certificate was found or if they referred care.”
Results
“Ninety-three 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,” according to the study, which included 184 patients participated.
“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 minor at 3.72%.”
Although more prospective research is needed to optimize administration and dose, according to the study, “medical marijuana appears to play an important role in relieving symptoms of advanced cancers with few side effects.”
“Prospective studies investigating this treatment modality should be prioritized,” the authors concluded.
Similar study, similar results
A Technion study published in Frontiers in Pain Research showed that half of the patients enrolled in the study stopped their other pain relievers after six months of medical cannabis treatment.
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“Traditionally, cancer-related pain has been treated primarily with opioid analgesics, but most oncologists consider opioid treatment dangerous, requiring alternative therapies,” said author David Meiri, an assistant professor at the Technion Israel Institute of Technology.
This article originally appeared on Benzinga and has been republished with permission.
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