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Cannabinoid-Based Medicines and Cancer Symptom Management

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Cannabis and Cannabinoid-Based Medicines in Cancer Care

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Abstract

Preclinical studies have indicated that the endocannabinoidome plays a significant role in modulating many physiological functions related to pain, anxiety, sleep, and appetite, among others. Patient surveys and observational studies have shown that cannabis relieves multiple symptoms and increases quality of life in cancer patients. As such, cannabis may be better at alleviating clusters of endocannabinoid-mediated symptoms as opposed to producing a focused effect on a single symptom. This may explain in part the inconsistent findings in clinical trials and warrants further trial design adjustments. Thus, extrapolated data from preclinical research and observational studies does not yet translate to established clinical benefits, and until further data confirms these preliminary findings, the use of cannabis in cancer care should be regarded as a multimodal treatment option in order to increase the likelihood of clinical benefits.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CancerCare Manitoba, Winnipeg Regional Palliative Care Program, Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada

    Paul Daeninck MD MSc FRCPC

  2. University of Manitoba Max Rady College of Medicine, Winnipeg, MB, Canada

    Rachel Rudney BSc, MD (candidate)

  3. Palliative Care Research, Geisinger Health System, Danville, PA, USA

    Mellar P. Davis MD FCCP FAAHPM

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  1. Paul Daeninck MD MSc FRCPC
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Daeninck, P., Rudney, R., Davis, M.P. (2022). Cannabinoid-Based Medicines and Cancer Symptom Management. In: Cannabis and Cannabinoid-Based Medicines in Cancer Care. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-89918-9_5

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