Cannabinoids in Treating Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting, Cancer-Associated Pain, and Tumor Growth

Cannabinoids have been found to affect tumors of the brain, prostate, colon and rectum, breast, uterus, cervix, thyroid, skin, pancreas, and lymph. However, the full potential of cannabinoids is yet to be understood. This review discusses current knowledge on the promising applications of cannabinoids in treating three different side effects of cancer—chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, cancer-associated pain, and tumor development. The findings suggest that cannabinoids can be used to address some side effects of cancer and to limit the growth of tumors, though a lack of supporting clinical trials presents a challenge for use on actual patients. An additional challenge will be examining whether any of the over one hundred naturally occurring cannabinoids or dozens of synthetic compounds also exhibit useful clinical properties.

Therapeutic Use of Cannabinoids in Critically Ill Patients: A Survey of Intensive Care Physicians in Germany

In the course of the legalization of cannabis for therapeutic purposes in Germany, there has been growing interest in the medical use of cannabinoids. To date, the therapeutic potential of cannabinoids for the treatment of critically ill patients has not been explored.This study aims to understand better whether and how frequently cannabinoids have been administered to critically ill patients in recent years.

Cannabinoid Effects on Experimental Colorectal Cancer Models Reduce Aberrant Crypt Foci (ACF) and Tumor Volume: A Systematic Review

Author: Eduardo Orrego-González, Luisa Londoño-Tobón, José Ardila-González, Diego Polania-Tovar, Ana Valencia-Cárdenas and Alberto Velez-Van Meerbeke Published in Hindawi July 2020 Abstract Objectives Colorectal cancer represents a heavy burden for health systems…

Cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome: a review of the literature.

Authors: Eleonore Deceuninck, Denis Jacques
Psychiatria Danubina, September 2019

BACKGROUND: Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome (CHS) is characterized by cyclic vomiting and compulsive need to take hot showers in the context of chronic cannabis use. Physicians’ lack of knowledge of CHS often results in a diagnostic delay of several years. The purpose of this…

Should Oncologists Recommend Cannabis?

Authors: Donald I. Abrams
Current Treatment Options in Oncology, 3 June 2019

Cannabis is a useful botanical with a wide range of therapeutic potential. Global prohibition over the past century has impeded the ability to study the plant as medicine. However, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) has been developed as a stand-alone pharmaceutical initially …

Role of chronic cannabis use: Cyclic vomiting syndrome vs cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome.

Authors: Thangam Venkatesan, David J. Levinthal, B U. K. Li, Sally E. Tarbell, Kathleen A. Adams, et al
Neurogastroenterology and Motility, June 2019

Cannabis is commonly used in cyclic vomiting syndrome (CVS) due to its antiemetic and anxiolytic properties. Paradoxically, chronic cannabis use in the context of cyclic vomiting has led to the recognition of a putative new disorder called cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS…

Cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome: An unrecognized cause of nausea and vomiting.

Authors: Tiffany N. Smith, Anne Walsh, Christopher P. Forest
Journal of the American Academy of Physician Assistants, April 2019

Cannabis has long been used for medical and recreational purposes because of its antiemetic, analgesic, and mood effects. Ironically, chronic use of cannabis can result in paradoxical effects, including a condition known as cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome. Patients with this …

Practical Perspectives in the Treatment of Nausea and Vomiting.

Authors: David J. Cangemi, Braden Kuo
Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology, March 2019

Nausea and vomiting result from complex interactions between afferent and efferent pathways of the gastrointestinal tract, central nervous system, and autonomic nervous system. Afferent pathways from the vagus nerve, vestibular system, and chemoreceptor trigger zone project to…

Patient Counseling Guidelines for the Use of Cannabis for the Treatment of Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea/Vomiting and Chronic Pain.

Authors: Patrick Makary, Jayesh R. Parmar, Natalie Mims, Nile M. Khanfar, Robert A. Freeman
Journal of Pain and Palliative Care Pharmacotherapy, December 2018

The use of cannabis medications has grown in recent years for the symptomatic relief of chemotherapy-induced nausea/vomiting (CINV) and chronic pain (cancer-related and non-cancer-related). As states legalize the use of cannabis, it is important for pharmacists and other healt…

Oral cannabinoid-rich THC/CBD cannabis extract for secondary prevention of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting: a study protocol for a pilot and definitive randomised double-blind placebo-controlled trial (CannabisCINV).

Authors: Antony J. Mersiades, Annette Tognela, Paul S. Haber, Martin Stockler, Nicholas Lintzeris, et al
BMJ open, 12 September 2018

INTRODUCTION: Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) remains an important issue for patients receiving chemotherapy despite guideline-consistent antiemetic therapy. Trials using delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol-rich (THC) products demonstrate limited antiemetic effect, si…

Using Medical Cannabis in an Oncology Practice

Authors: Donald I. Abrams
Oncology, May 2016

As oncologists, we treat patients who have devastating diagnoses with potent therapies. Hence, we demand solid evidence before recommending any intervention. Unfortunately, when it comes to supporting the use of cannabis in clinical situations, we are frustrated by a dearth of…

Integrating cannabis into clinical cancer care.

Authors: D.I. Abrams
Current Oncology, March 2016

Cannabis species have been used as medicine for thousands of years; only since the 1940s has the plant not been widely available for medical use. However, an increasing number of jurisdictions are making it possible for patients to obtain the botanical for medicinal use. For t…