Lexington, KY: Patients undergoing cancer treatment overwhelmingly endorse the use of cannabis for symptom mitigation, according to survey data published in the journal The Oncologist.
A team of investigators at the University of Kentucky surveyed a cohort of cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy. Among those who acknowledged using cannabis following their cancer diagnosis, 80 percent said that it relieved their symptoms – specifically their pain, nausea, anxiety, and appetite loss. An even greater percentage of respondents (89 percent) said that cannabis improved their quality of life.
Data provided last month by Minnesota’s Office of Cannabis Management reported that cancer patients enrolled in the state’s medical cannabis access program frequently acknowledge improvements in their pain, nausea, anxiety, and depression following marijuana treatment.
Despite cancer patients’ frequently reported use of cannabis, many oncologists acknowledge “lacking sufficient knowledge about cannabis and its utility as a medication in cancer treatment.”
Full text of the study, “Cannabis assessment in oncology patients – evaluation survey: Understanding usage patterns in a rural radiation cohort in Kentucky,” appears in The Oncologist.