Cannabis ‘may ease cancer pain’: Hundreds of patients report pain reduced by 40 percent after turning to drugs because conventional painkillers didn’t work
- Patients reported more than a 40 percent improvement in their ability to go about their daily lives
- Researchers found that people were able to reduce their use of opioid painkillers
- Results may be due in part to ‘placebo effect’ and other research differs
Medicinal cannabis may reduce the need for pain relief in cancer patients, a study finds.
Researchers looked at 358 patients, all of whom took the drug because conventional pain relievers didn’t fully work for them.
They reported a reduction of more than 40 percent in the amount of pain that affected their ability to live daily lives.
However, the study from McGill University in Montreal, published in the journal BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care, did not compare those who used medical cannabis with those who only used conventional painkillers.
And the results may be due in part to the ‘placebo effect’ – where people feel better because they expect a treatment to work.
The study from McGill University in Montreal (pictured) reported a more than 40 percent reduction in the extent to which pain affected their ability to manage daily life
Researchers looked at 358 patients, all of whom took the drug because conventional pain relievers didn’t fully work for them
The majority used cannabis by taking cannabis oil, and 13 percent smoked it.
The researchers found that people were able to reduce their use of opioids, which are linked to side effects such as nausea and vomiting.
Meanwhile, the most common side effects observed in the study by volunteers using medicinal cannabis were drowsiness, fatigue and dry mouth.
Dr. Antonio Vigano, senior author of the study, from McGill University in Canada, said: ‘This study showed that medical cannabis is both safe and effective and can help people reduce their use of conventional painkillers.’
Currently there is an approved form of medical cannabis in the UK called Epidyolex which is used for three types of childhood epilepsy.
Hospital specialists may also prescribe a cannabis-based spray called Sativex on the NHS for muscle stiffness caused by multiple sclerosis.
A type of medical cannabis called nabilone can be prescribed to adult cancer patients to reduce nausea and vomiting, but only if conventional drugs don’t work.
The new study, published in the journal BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care, found a significant reduction in people’s pain while using medical cannabis.
Currently there is an approved form of medical cannabis in the UK called Epidyolex which is used for three types of childhood epilepsy
The patients in the study primarily used opioids, but also used other medications, including anti-inflammatory and anticonvulsant drugs.
Despite the results, however, other studies have shown that medical cannabis does not reduce opioid use by cancer patients, and the researchers note that the effectiveness of medical cannabis products may vary if the dosage and type are not closely matched to the patient taking them.
People may also experience more side effects if they are not closely monitored by doctors, such as study volunteers.
More than half of patients undergoing cancer treatment, and two-thirds of those with advanced or terminal disease, experience pain.
The UK’s medical watchdog, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), has recommended trials to determine whether medical cannabis can help cancer patients with pain, reduce their use of opioids and enable them to live at home without getting sick. kept in hospital.
However, when it published its guideline on medicinal cannabis products in 2019, it said there was insufficient evidence that it could effectively treat cancer-related pain.