Groningen, Netherlands: A pair of patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) experienced spontaneous tumor regression following the daily use of cannabis extracts, according to data published in the Journal of Cannabis Research.
Dutch investigators documented “complete” tumor regression in a pair of patients with advanced HCC. Both patients consumed THC-dominant cannabis oils daily. Neither patient engaged in any significant lifestyle, dietary, or other supportive interventions aside from the use of cannabis extracts.
Spontaneous regression of HCC typically occurs in fewer than one-half of one percent of all cases.
The study’s authors concluded: “In this report, we present two patients (ages 82 and 77) with advanced HCC with a high tumor burden who demonstrated durable and complete regression after use of cannabis oil. … The observations in this report build on previous (pre)clinical research highlighting the potential anti-tumor qualities of cannabinoids and stress the need for clinical trials investigating the anti-tumor effects of cannabinoids in cancer patients.”
Cannabinoids have demonstrated well-established anti-cancer activities in preclinical models, but their efficacy as an anti-cancer agent has rarely been assessed in clinical trials.
Full text of the study, “Durable complete response of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma using cannabis oil: A report of two cases,” appears in the Journal of Cannabis Research.