By Alexandra Mae Jones, writer for CTVNews.ca
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TORONTO, Ontario (CTV Network) – A case study of a UK woman whose lung tumor shrank without the aid of conventional treatments while taking a daily dose of cannabidiol oil (CBD) makes scientists suggest that it is worth studying the use of CBD oil further.
The report, published in BMJ Case Reports in October, describes how the woman’s tumor shrank from 41mm to 10mm in about two and a half years.
Cannabinoids are similar to endocannabinoids, which are made by the human body to aid in various processes, such as nerve function, energy metabolism, pain and inflammation, and immune function, among others.
Although cannabinoids have been studied before as a primary treatment for cancer, the results have not been conclusive and inconsistent, making it difficult to determine whether it really had any impact.
In this case report, an 80-year-old woman was diagnosed with “non-small cell” lung cancer in June 2018 after months of suspicious coughing. She was a lifelong smoker, smoked about 68 packs a year, and had a history of “mild chronic obstructive pulmonary disease,” the report said.
When she was first diagnosed, although she was a candidate for treatments to cure her cancer, she declined surgery, radiation therapy and other treatments offered to her.
The report offered the perspective of the patients, in which she explained that she declined treatment because she had seen her late husband go through the struggle of radiation therapy.
So the doctors decided to simply do periodic CT scans to check the patient every three or six months.
During these scans over the next two years, doctors noticed that her lung cancer was shrinking. By February 2021, it had shrunk by approximately 76% in diameter, reaching an average reduction of 2.4% per month since diagnosis.
In 2019, the reduction of the tumor aroused the interests of doctors and the patient was summoned to discuss its results.
At that meeting, he revealed that he had been taking CBD oil “as an alternative self-treatment for his lung cancer” since August 2018, which he had obtained from outside the UK. I was taking 0.5 ml of CBD oil two or three times a day.
“The provider reported that the main active ingredients in the ‘CBD oil’ used by this patient were Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) at 19.5 [per cent], CBD at 20.05 [per cent] and tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA) at 23.8 [per cent]”Said the report.
He had noticed a reduced appetite since he took the CBD oil, but other than that, he had no other changes in his prescribed medications, diet, or lifestyle; he even still smoked a pack of cigarettes a week, though he was advised to quit.
The human endocannabinoid system, which was only identified in the 1990s, is still a mystery in many ways. While we know it helps regulate the physiological and cognitive processes and manufactured endocannabinoids that “act as neuromodulators,” the way this system can be harnessed with drugs and drugs is a growing avenue of research.
Cannabis and cannabinoids in general have proven therapeutic uses, such as helping with chronic pain, anxiety, and sleep disorders, but research on whether cannabinoids could be used as a direct treatment for cancer has not yet yielded a clear answer.
If CBD oil played a role in reducing a woman’s tumor, doctors are not sure how the active ingredients worked together to achieve it. Previous research on CBD and THC as treatments for cancer has sometimes had conflicting results, as THC has been shown in some studies to slow tumor growth, but has been shown to increase cell growth. cancer cells in other studies.
Doctors also acknowledged that they were unable to confirm the full list of CBD oil ingredients that this particular patient took.
The patient no doubt believes that CBD oil made a difference and was cited in the report as “on the moon” and with the intention of continuing to take CBD oil “indefinitely”.
But a case report doesn’t show the treatment works, yet.
“Although there appears to be a relationship between‘ CBD oil ’intake and observed tumor regression, we cannot conclusively confirm that tumor regression is due to the patient taking‘ CBD oil ’. “, says the report.
“More research is needed to identify the actual mechanism of action, routes of administration, safe doses, their effects on different types of cancer, and any possible adverse side effects when using cannabinoids.”
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