“As the legalization of medical cannabis continues across the USA, oncology care providers will be increasingly asked to provide recommendations regarding its use in the cancer setting.
In this article, we review recent literature that analyzes cannabis use specifically in patients with cancer and provide an accessible guide for clinicians, researchers, and patients.
We aimed to answer questions about the availability of cannabis in the USA, the trials supporting its use in the cancer setting, and the important factors to consider related to safety. Thirty states plus the District of Columbia have established comprehensive medical cannabis programs, each with different regulations and products available.
In June 2018, Epidiolex, a cannabis extraction product containing 99% CBD, was approved to treat refractory seizures; however, whole-plant products and non-prescription extraction products dominate the market.
Recent randomized, placebo-controlled studies of nabiximols (Sativex) in patients with refractory cancer-pain have largely shown no significant benefits. Conversely, large observational studies suggest patients with cancer using cannabis report significant improvement of many common symptoms.
Cannabis use appears well tolerated, with few serious adverse effects reported. Though prospective clinical trials are needed to provide the robust data required to establish the proper role of cannabinoid and cannabis-based therapy in cancer patients, physicians can draw upon the knowledge currently available to have informed discussions with their patients.”
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30707319
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs11912-019-0757-7




“In the last decades, a lot of attention has been paid to the compounds present in medicinal Cannabis sativa L., such as Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), and their effects on inflammation and cancer-related pain.
“Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common and aggressive form of primary malignant brain tumor in adults, with poor prognosis. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are key-mediators for cellular communication through transfer of proteins and genetic material. Cancers, such as GBM, use EV release for drug-efflux, pro-oncogenic signaling, invasion and immunosuppression; thus the modulation of EV release and cargo is of considerable clinical relevance. As EV-inhibitors have been shown to increase sensitivity of cancer cells to chemotherapy, and we recently showed that
“A flowering plant of variegated ingredients and psychoactive qualities, Cannabis has long been used for medicinal and recreational purposes.
Regulatory approvals have been gained across a broad range of palliative and therapeutic indications, and in some cases, included in standard treatment guidelines.
Areas covered: The use of Cannabis and
“The lack of good diagnostic/prognostic biomarkers and the often late presentation of endometrial cancer (EC) hinders the amelioration of the morbidity and mortality rates associated with this primarily estrogen-driven disease, a disease that is becoming more prevalent in the population.
Previous studies on the expression of the classical cannabinoid receptors, CB1 and CB2, suggest these could provide good diagnostic/prognostic biomarkers for EC but those observations have been contradictory. In this study, we sought to resolve the inconsistency of CB1 and CB2 expression levels in different EC studies.
To that end, we used qRT-PCR and immunohistochemistry (IHC) for CB1 and CB2 in endometrial biopsies from women with or without EC and found that transcript levels for both CB1 and CB2 were significantly decreased by 90 and 80%, respectively in EC. These observations were supported by histomorphometric studies where CB1 and CB2 staining intensity was decreased in all types of EC.
These data suggest that the loss of both types of CB receptors is potentially involved in the development of or progression of EC and that CB1 and CB2 receptor expression could serve as useful histological markers and therapeutic targets in the treatment of or prevention of EC.”