Medical Marijuana And Lung Cancer… Want to know if medical marijuana can help you feel better? You are not alone! Many people with lung cancer consider using medical marijuana as an adjunct therapy and as a prescribed treatment to make them feel better. The answer is definitely yes … but like all diagnoses, it is an individual problem and there is no one-size-fits-all approach.
From a medical perspective, “there is very little clinical data” on the subject, Dr. Edward Garon, a medical oncologist and hematologist at Ronald Reagan Medical Center in California, told SurvivorNet. “This is an area where there is some preclinical data such as animal data, but not much human data is sufficient for clinical evidence to recommend it to humans.”
Let’s understand how medical marijuana works, why it works, and what doctors are saying about it based on what they currently know.
It is important to understand why marijuana can be so helpful with cancer symptoms and its treatment. First, it’s anti-inflammatory and analgesic. “When you ingest plant-based marijuana, marijuana, you reduce inflammation as well as relieve pain,” says Dr. Junella Chin, an inclusive cannabis practitioner in New York, told SurvivorNet.
Dr. Garon says, “In general, we have always advised patients diagnosed with lung cancer, not to smoke anything.”
This is because he explained that humans have a natural cannabis system that our bodies make. However, when a person is experiencing chronic pain, the natural pain relief from the endocannabinoid system is not sufficient. “So when we use cannabis phytocannabinoids, we are actually replenishing the body’s own cannabinoid system. That way, we can treat pain and inflammation much more effectively.”
Benefits of medical marijuana for lung cancer
Medical marijuana can be a useful tool in fighting the negative side effects of cancer and chemotherapy. These include nausea, loss of appetite, pain, and depression or anxiety.
“The drug marijuana, when you think about it, is the only herbal remedy that can help with nausea, increase appetite, relieve pain, and improve mood,” said Dr. Chin and noted that many people exposed to chemotherapy as part of cancer treatment live in countries where medical marijuana is available and used for healing.
Some doctors will prescribe a common version of marijuana called Marinol to treat this side effect. But Dr. Chin prefers to use the real thing to help his patients. “It’s much more effective in increasing appetite and reducing pain in my cancer patients,” he said.
Why do you still have to be careful?
Despite the many potential benefits, there are many reasons to remain cautious when considering whether medical marijuana might be useful in your diagnosis of lung cancer.
Dr. Elizabeth Comen, a medical oncologist at the Sloan Catering Memorial Cancer Center, told SurvivorNet, “I have no problem getting marijuana from a reputable and licensed source, as long as patients are open with their doctors about what they are consuming and make sure they get it. it does not interact with drugs from clinical trials or standard therapies. “”
Simply put, said Dr. Garon: “In general, we always advise patients diagnosed with lung cancer not to smoke.” Indicates that food is probably the preferred method.
“Marijuana has been used by people to help them for a very, very, very long time. But people are also being hurt by marijuana,” he said. “I have no problem with patients receiving marijuana from a reputable, licensed source.”
Of course, Komen’s main concern is simply that patients are confident that they are not jeopardizing their current treatment and that they are doing nothing to increase their risk of future cancer.
“As long as patients are open with their doctors about what they are taking and make sure it doesn’t interact with the drugs they are taking for clinical trials or standard therapy,” he said. I’m open to patients like Take Anything You Need to make you feel better “.
Medical Marijuana And Lung Cancer – Are they related?
Dr. Comen’s call for caution when smoking marijuana is important as much research remains to be done on the possible link between lung cancer and smoking marijuana. This is mainly because smoking marijuana has long been considered illegal and therefore difficult to study.
SurvivorNet’s extensive review of the medical literature did not reveal high-quality studies that found a direct link between smoking (or removing) pots and risk of developing lung cancer.
“With the increasing legalization of cannabis and the anticipated wave of increased consumption, it is evident that there is a need to study cannabis cancer risk with the same degree of accuracy as tobacco smoke,” said Dr. Joseph Friedberg, director of the thoracic surgery department at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, told SurvivorNet. “Both types of smoke contain the same carcinogens, so the popular belief that tobacco smoke causes cancer and marijuana smoke isn’t inherently wrong.”
He adds, “As well as the health risk warnings attached to smoking, the risks of smoking marijuana to consumers need to be identified so that they can make informed decisions about potty smoking.
So, weigh your options, be careful, and consult your doctor to help decide if medical marijuana is suitable as an adjunct therapy for your lung cancer.