Roskilde, Denmark: The short-term administration of CBD oil extracts is safe and effective in patients suffering from chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN), according to data published in the journal Supportive Care in Cancer.
Danish investigators assessed the twice daily administration of CBD oil (300 mg/daily) in patients receiving either oxaliplatin or paclitaxel-based chemotherapy. Subjects used CBD for a period of eight days immediately following their first cycle of chemotherapy. Patients outcomes were compared to those of similarly matched controls.
Researchers reported that the use of CBD was associated with pronounced improvements in patients’ pain-related outcomes, including cold sensitivity and throat discomfort.
“CBD attenuated early symptoms of CIPN with no major safety concerns,” they concluded. “Long-term follow-up is ongoing. Results should be confirmed in a larger, randomized study.”
Separate studies have identified an association between patients’ long-term use of cannabis products and statistical improvements in cancer-related symptoms as well as significant reductions in their use of prescription painkillers.
Full text of the study, “Oral cannabidiol for prevention of acute and transient chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy,” appears in Supportive Care in Cancer.