Scientists have advised caution after a report emerged from a woman whose lung cancer tumor shrank after taking regular doses of CBD oil.
CBD oil, which is a non-psychoactive chemical extracted from the hemp or cannabis plant, is linked to several possible health benefits, such as pain relief and anxiety reduction.
People have also wondered if CBD could be used as a treatment for cancer, but that link is not yet conclusive, according to MedicalNewsToday.
A case report was published in the British Medical Journal on 14 October involving a woman in her 80s who was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2018 after going to the doctor with a persistent cough.
The woman, a 68-pack smoker a year, was offered treatment for her cancer that includes surgery and radiation therapy, but refused both, so doctors decided to just look and wait by doing regular checkups. .
According to the case report, periodic CT scans over the next two and a half years showed that her lung tumor appeared to be shrinking over time, even though the woman continued to smoke and was not receiving any conventional treatment.
The injury to his lungs was measured at 41 millimeters in June 2018 and had been reduced to 10 millimeters in February 2021.
When doctors contacted her to talk about it, she revealed that she had been taking “CBD oil” as a self-treatment after a family member advised her to do so shortly after her 2018 diagnosis.
The woman was taking 0.5 milliliters of oil two or three times a day by ingesting it. The authors of the case report point out that the oil “appears to have had a positive effect on its disease,” but could not conclusively confirm it.
“While there is a clear possibility that cannabinoids may be used as a primary or complementary form of cancer treatment, more research is needed to identify exactly which compound works against what type of specific cancer cell,” he says. report.
He also notes that previous studies “have failed to agree on the usefulness of cannabinoids as a treatment for cancer.”
Meanwhile, scientists not involved in the case report have said that while the case seems encouraging, it should be taken with caution.
Professor David Nutt, Edmond J Safra Professor of Neuropsychopharmacology at Imperial College London, told the Science Media Center (SMC) that the example is “one of many promising unique case reports of medical cannabis self-treatment for to several cancers, ”but he added. : “A case report alone is not enough to give any form of evidence that one thing caused another; we need judgments for that.”
Professor Edzard Ernst, Professor Emeritus of Complementary Medicine at the University of Exeter, echoed the point, telling the SMC that while some case reports of cancer and cannabis extracts have been encouraging, “the case reports cannot be considered as reliable evidence “.
Another problem with this case was that the woman had used CBD oil which also contained THC, the cannabis chemical that makes people feel high.
“This type of product is very different from most CBD oils that predominantly contain CBD,” Dr. Tom Freeman, a tenured professor and director of the Addictions and Mental Health Group at the University of Bath, told SMC.
In fact, the authors of the case report point out that it is difficult to conclude whether the THC of the woman’s oil contributed to the reduction of the tumor or whether only the CBD component had a positive effect.
Freeman added that “people with lung cancer should always seek guidance from a health care professional.”
A stock photo shows a small bottle of oil with a backdrop of cannabis plants. CBD, which can take the form of oil, has been linked to several potential health benefits, but it is not yet known if it can be used to treat cancer.
Tinnakorn Jorruang / Getty
