The THC in marijuana may help alleviate symptoms of pain and nausea in patients with cancer. CBD reduces inflammation and serves as an antioxidant. Marijuana can be eaten, smoked, inhaled or vaped, and its effects vary depending on the method used. Cannabis, also known as marijuana, is a plant that was first cultivated in Central Asia and is now cultivated in many parts of the world.
The cannabis plant produces a resin (thick substance) that contains compounds called cannabinoids. Some cannabinoids are psychoactive (they affect the mind or mood). In the United States, cannabis is a controlled substance and has been classified as a Schedule I agent (a drug with a high potential for abuse and no accepted medical use). Hemp is a mix of the cannabis plant with very low levels of psychoactive compounds.
Hemp oil or cannabidiol (CBD) is made from industrial hemp extracts, while hemp seed oil is an edible fatty oil that contains few or no cannabinoids. Hemp is not a controlled substance. For information on medicinal cannabis products, see the general information section in the health professional version of Cannabis and Cannabinoids. Clinical trials studying cannabis for cancer treatment are limited.
To start a clinical trial with cannabis in the United States, researchers must file an application for a new investigational drug (IND) with the FDA and have a U.S. Schedule I license. UU. Drug Enforcement Administration and are approved by the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
Cannabinoids, also known as phytocannabinoids, are chemicals in cannabis that cause drug-like effects in the body, including the central nervous system and the immune system. More than 100 cannabinoids have been found in cannabis. The main psychoactive cannabinoid in cannabis is delta-9-THC. Another active cannabinoid is cannabidiol (CBD).
Cannabinoids may help treat the side effects of cancer and cancer treatment. Although federal law prohibits the use of cannabis, the following map shows the states and territories that have legalized cannabis for medical use. Other states have legalized just one ingredient in cannabis, such as cannabidiol (CBD), and these states are not included in the map. Medical marijuana laws vary from state to state, enlarge A map showing the U.S.
States and territories that have approved the medical use of cannabis. Cannabis can be taken orally (in baked goods or as herbal tea) or it can be inhaled. When taken orally, the main psychoactive part of cannabis (delta-9-THC) passes through the liver and is transformed into a different psychoactive substance (11-OH-THC). When cannabis is smoked and inhaled, cannabinoids quickly enter the bloodstream.
The psychoactive chemical (11-OH-THC) is produced in smaller amounts than when taken orally. Clinical trials are studying a drug made from a cannabis extract that contains specific amounts of cannabinoids. This medicine is sprayed under the tongue. In laboratory studies, tumor cells are used to test a substance to determine if it is likely to have any anti-cancer effects.
In animal studies, tests are done to see if a drug, procedure, or treatment is safe and effective in animals. Laboratory and animal studies are done before testing a substance in people. No ongoing studies on cannabis as a treatment for cancer in people have been found in the PubMed CAM database maintained by the National Institutes of Health. Small studies have been conducted, but the results have not been published or suggest the need for larger studies.
Cannabis and cannabinoids have been studied as ways to control the side effects of cancer and cancer therapies. The newer drugs given for nausea caused by chemotherapy have not been compared to cannabis or cannabinoids in patients with cancer. There is growing interest in treating children for symptoms such as nausea with cannabis and cannabinoids, but studies are limited. The American Academy of Pediatrics has not endorsed the use of cannabis and cannabinoids due to concerns about their effect on brain development.
Cannabis and cannabinoids have been studied for the treatment of anxiety. These symptoms are mild compared to the symptoms of opioid withdrawal and usually go away after a few days. Studies on the risk of cancer from cannabis use Larger studies that follow patients over time are needed to determine if there is a relationship between cannabis use and an increased risk of testicular germ cell tumors. Studies on cannabis use and its impact on cancer treatment Few studies have been conducted to find out how cannabis interacts with conventional treatment.
A retrospective observational study conducted in Israel showed that cannabis reduced the effect of immunotherapy. A prospective observational study on immunotherapy and cannabis in patients with metastatic cancer reported that cannabis users did not benefit as much from immunotherapy as those who did not use cannabis. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved the use of cannabis or cannabinoids as a treatment for cancer. The FDA has not approved cannabis for the treatment of any cancer-related symptoms or side effects of anticancer therapy.
The FDA has approved two cannabinoids (dronabinol and nabilone) for the treatment of nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy in patients who have not responded to antiemetic treatment. Use our clinical trial search to find NCI-supported cancer clinical trials that accept patients. You can search for studies based on the type of cancer, the patient's age, and where the trials are being performed. General information on clinical trials is also available.
The PDQ is an NCI service. The NCI is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The NIH is the federal government's biomedical research center. The PDQ summaries are based on an independent review of the medical literature.
They are not NCI or NIH policy statements. This PDQ cancer summary has current information on the use of cannabis and cannabinoids in treating people with cancer. Its goal is to inform and help patients, families and caregivers. It does not provide formal guidelines or recommendations for making decisions about health care.
Editorial boards write PDQ summaries with information about cancer and keep them up to date. These boards are comprised of experts in cancer treatment and other cancer-related specialties. The summaries are reviewed periodically and changes are made when there is new information. The date of each summary (updated) is the date of the most recent change.
The information in this patient summary was extracted from the version for health professionals, which the PDQ Editorial Board on Integrative, Alternative and Complementary Therapies reviews periodically and updates as needed. A clinical trial is a study to answer a scientific question, such as whether one treatment is better than another. The tests are based on previous studies and on what has been learned in the laboratory. Each trial answers certain scientific questions to find new and better ways to help patients with cancer.
During clinical trials of treatment, information is collected about the effects of a new treatment and its effectiveness. If a clinical trial shows that a new treatment is better than the one currently used, the new treatment may become standard. Patients may want to consider participating in a clinical trial. Some clinical trials are open only to patients who have not started treatment.
Clinical trials can be found online on the NCI website. For more information, call the Cancer Information Service (CIS), the NCI care center, at 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-623). The information in these summaries should not be used to make decisions about insurance reimbursement. More information about insurance coverage can be found on Cancer, gov, on the Managing Cancer Care page.
Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM), also called integrative medicine, includes a wide range of healing philosophies, approaches, and therapies. A therapy is generally called complementary when used in addition to conventional treatments; it is often called alternative when used in place of conventional treatment. Conventional treatments are those that are widely accepted and practiced by the conventional medical community. Complementary and alternative therapies are used in an effort to prevent diseases, reduce stress, prevent or reduce side effects and symptoms, or control or cure diseases.
Unlike conventional treatments for cancer, insurance companies don't usually cover complementary and alternative therapies. Patients should check with their insurance provider for information on the coverage of complementary and alternative therapies. Cancer patients who are considering complementary and alternative therapies should discuss this decision with their doctor, nurse, or pharmacist as they would with any type of treatment. Some complementary and alternative therapies may affect your standard treatment or may be harmful when used together with conventional treatment.
It is important that the same scientific methods used to test conventional therapies are used to test alternative medicine therapies. The National Cancer Institute and the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) sponsor several clinical trials (research studies) in medical centers to test alternative medicine therapies for use in cancer. Conventional approaches to cancer treatment have generally been studied for safety and effectiveness through a scientific process that includes clinical trials with large numbers of patients. Less is known about the safety and effectiveness of complementary and alternative methods.
Few alternative medicine therapies have been tested using demanding scientific methods. A small number of alternative medicine therapies that were thought to be purely alternative approaches are now used in cancer treatment, not as cures, but as complementary therapies that can help patients feel better and recover faster. According to an expert panel at a meeting of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in November 1997, acupuncture was found to help control nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy and pain related to surgery. However, some approaches have been studied, such as the use of laetrile, and it has been found that they do not work and that they can cause harm.
The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) facilitates research and evaluation of complementary and alternative practices, and provides information on a variety of approaches to health professionals and the general public. The NCCIH and the National Library of Medicine (NLM) of the NIH jointly developed CAM in PubMed, a free and easy-to-use search tool for finding citations from journals related to CAM. As a subset of the NLM PubMed bibliographic database, CAM in PubMed includes more than 230,000 references and abstracts of articles related to CAM from scientific journals. This database also provides links to the websites of more than 1,800 journals, allowing users to view full-text articles.
A subscription or other fee may be required to access full-text articles. OCCAM supports breast cancer research and provides information on cancer-related CAM to health providers and the general public through the NCI website. National Cancer Institute (NCI) Cancer Information Service The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates drugs and medical devices to ensure that they are safe and effective. Do you want to use this content on your website or other digital platform? Our syndication services page shows you how.
National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health. .
