Frequent Cannabis Users Are Less Likely to Get Breast and Prostate Cancer Screenings
Heavy cannabis use (20-30 days/month) was associated with 30% lower odds of breast cancer screening and 40% lower odds of prostate cancer screening, but had no effect on cervical or colorectal screening.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
High-frequency cannabis use was associated with lower breast cancer screening adherence (aOR 0.70) and prostate cancer screening at any frequency (1-19 days: aOR 0.76; 20-30 days: aOR 0.60). No significant effect was found for cervical or colorectal cancer screening.
Key Numbers
229,711 patients analyzed. Breast cancer screening: aOR 0.70 (20-30 days use). Prostate screening: aOR 0.60 (20-30 days), 0.76 (1-19 days). No significant effect on cervical or colorectal screening.
How They Did This
Analysis of Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data covering 229,711 patients eligible for cancer screening. Multivariable adjusted models assessed cannabis use frequency and screening adherence.
Why This Research Matters
If frequent cannabis use is associated with skipping cancer screenings, clinicians seeing cannabis-using patients may need to be more proactive about screening recommendations.
The Bigger Picture
This may reflect broader healthcare engagement patterns rather than a direct effect of cannabis. Heavy cannabis users may be less likely to seek preventive care in general.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Cross-sectional design cannot establish causation. Self-reported cannabis use and screening adherence. Cannot distinguish recreational from medical users. Confounders like healthcare access may explain the association.
Questions This Raises
- ?Is the association driven by cannabis itself or by the demographics of heavy users?
- ?Would targeted screening reminders for cannabis users close this gap?
- ?Does medical cannabis use show the same pattern?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- 40% lower prostate cancer screening adherence among daily cannabis users
- Evidence Grade:
- Large population-based survey with multivariable adjustment; moderate because of sample size despite cross-sectional limitations.
- Study Age:
- 2025 publication using BRFSS survey data
- Original Title:
- Association of Cannabis Use With Guideline-Recommended Cancer Screenings: Results From a National Health Behaviors Survey.
- Published In:
- JCO oncology practice, OP2401093 (2025)
- Authors:
- Dagnino, Filippo, Pohl, Klara K, Qian, Zhiyu, Zurl, Hanna, Stelzl, Daniel, Korn, Stephan M, Lughezzani, Giovanni, Buffi, Nicolò M, Kibel, Adam S, Trinh, Quoc-Dien, Cole, Alexander P
- Database ID:
- RTHC-06289
Evidence Hierarchy
A snapshot of a population at one point in time.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Does cannabis cause people to skip cancer screenings?
This study found an association, not causation. Heavy cannabis users were less likely to be up-to-date on certain screenings, but this could reflect broader health behaviors rather than a direct effect of cannabis.
Why were only breast and prostate screenings affected?
The researchers speculate this may relate to screening accessibility or the demographics of heavy cannabis users. Cervical and colorectal screenings showed no significant association with cannabis use at any frequency.
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-06289APA
Dagnino, Filippo; Pohl, Klara K; Qian, Zhiyu; Zurl, Hanna; Stelzl, Daniel; Korn, Stephan M; Lughezzani, Giovanni; Buffi, Nicolò M; Kibel, Adam S; Trinh, Quoc-Dien; Cole, Alexander P. (2025). Association of Cannabis Use With Guideline-Recommended Cancer Screenings: Results From a National Health Behaviors Survey.. JCO oncology practice, OP2401093. https://doi.org/10.1200/OP-24-01093
MLA
Dagnino, Filippo, et al. "Association of Cannabis Use With Guideline-Recommended Cancer Screenings: Results From a National Health Behaviors Survey.." JCO oncology practice, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1200/OP-24-01093
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Association of Cannabis Use With Guideline-Recommended Cance..." RTHC-06289. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/dagnino-2025-association-of-cannabis-use
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.