TDNet Discover

Background: Cancer is the second most common cause of death in the United States and globally, killing 598,038 Americans in 2016 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2016, p. 4) and 8.8 million people worldwide (World Health Organization, 2018). Approximately 70- 90% of patients with progressive malignancy report significant pain (Bar-Lev Schleider et al., 2018). Currently, narcotic medications are the cornerstone of analgesic treatment for cancerrelated pain;however, inadequate pain relief and undesirable side effects lead many patients to search alternative methods of analgesia. In recent years, research on cannabis-based medicines (CBM) has shown a potentially therapeutic effect on core cancer symptoms, including pain. Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy of CBMs in treating chronic pain associated with cancer. Methods: We performed an online systematic review between November 2017 and May 2018 of articles referencing the efficacy of CBMs as analgesic treatment for cancer patients. We searched specific keywords (cannabis, cancer, treatment, pain and efficacy) limited to articles published within the past ten years and written in English. Three studies were examined in depth. Results: Bar-Lev Schleider et al. (2018) showed statistically significant improvement in overall condition, quality of life, subjective pain and a number of malignancy-related symptoms after initiating treatment with cannabinoids. Häuser, Fitzcharles, Radbruch, & Petzke (2017) ultimately concluded that there is inadequate evidence to support or refute the use medical marijuana for cancer-related symptoms. Darkovska-Serafimovska et al. (2018) recognized that a significant proportion of patients using CBM had improved pain scores. CBM- ANALGESIC TREATMENT FOR CANCER-RELATED PAIN v Conclusion: Current studies have shown promising results for the use of CBM as analgesia for cancer patients;however, there is not enough definitive evidence to make this a formal treatment recommendation. It remains an alternative treatment for patients seeking further symptom relief