Practical Considerations for the Use of Cannabis in Cancer Pain Management-What a Medical Oncologist Should Know.
Alecsandra GorzoAndrei HavasiȘtefan SpînuAdela OpreaClaudia BurzDaniel G SurPublished in: Journal of clinical medicine (2022)
Pain is a highly debilitating emotional and sensory experience that significantly affects quality of life (QoL). Numerous chronic conditions, including cancer, are associated with chronic pain. In the setting of malignancy, pain can be a consequence of the tumor itself or of life-saving interventions, including surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. Despite significant pharmacological advances and awareness campaigns, pain remains undertreated in one-third of patients. To date, opioids have been the mainstay of cancer pain management. The problematic side effects and unsatisfactory pain relief of opioids have revived patients' and physicians' interest in finding new solutions, including cannabis and cannabinoids. The medical use of cannabis has been prohibited for decades, and it remains in Schedule 1 of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations. Currently, the legal context for its usage has become more permissive. Various preclinical and observational studies have aimed to prove that cannabinoids could be effective in cancer pain management. However, their clinical utility must be further supported by high-quality clinical trials.
Keyphrases
- pain management
- chronic pain
- papillary thyroid
- end stage renal disease
- squamous cell
- clinical trial
- ejection fraction
- healthcare
- primary care
- physical activity
- randomized controlled trial
- acute coronary syndrome
- squamous cell carcinoma
- double blind
- bone marrow
- neuropathic pain
- coronary artery disease
- childhood cancer
- placebo controlled