Title: Medicinal cannabis in integrative cancer management

Abstract

Surveys indicate that those with cancer often use medicinal cannabis. There is much preclinical research to indicate that key constituents of cannabis including cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) have anti-cancer activity, targeting many of the hallmarks of cancer and associated signaling pathways involved in the pathogenesis of cancer. However, research in humans is less strong in terms of altering hard endpoints such as mortality. Notwithstanding this, there is preclinical research evidence and in many cases, also human research that suggests medicinal cannabis may have an important role to play in the management of signs and symptoms associated with cancer and its orthodox treatment. Such signs and symptoms include anxiety, depression, sleep disorders, chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, cancer-related pain, cachexia, and oral mucositis. Medicinal cannabis may also have an important role to play in palliative care. In this presentation, we will explore some of the scientific evidence that medicinal cannabis may have a role to play in the integrative management of cancer.