Cannabis has reasonable evidence for treating nausea, vomiting, appetite loss, and pain in cancer patients, with promising but limited data for neuropathy, GI distress, and sleep problems.
Oncologists, palliative care providers, and cancer patients considering cannabis for symptom management.
3 symptoms with reasonable evidence
What the researchers found
The review found reasonable evidence to consider cannabis for nausea/vomiting, appetite loss, and pain as supplemental treatment. Promising but insufficient evidence exists for chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy, GI distress, and sleep disorders. Evidence for cognitive impairment, anxiety, depression, and fatigue remains scant.
Why it matters
Cancer patients are among the highest-use populations for medical cannabis, yet oncologists often lack guidance on what cannabis can and cannot do for their patients' symptoms.
The numbers in context
The review assessed cannabis evidence across at least nine symptom categories in cancer patients, finding reasonable evidence for three (nausea/vomiting, appetite loss, pain) and promising evidence for three more (neuropathy, GI distress, sleep).
How the study worked
Literature review across cancer, HIV, multiple sclerosis, IBD, PTSD, and other fields to inform cannabis use in cancer supportive and palliative care.
What this study cannot tell us
Narrative review without systematic search methodology. Draws on evidence from non-cancer populations which may not directly translate. Cannabis preparation and dosing varied widely across included studies.
How to read the evidence
Moderate: broad review across multiple conditions, but narrative rather than systematic.
When this study was published
Published in 2019.
The bigger picture
By pulling evidence from multiple disease contexts, this review builds a more complete picture of cannabis's potential in cancer care than studies limited to oncology alone. The multifaceted symptom relief potential is notable for patients dealing with multiple concurrent symptoms.
Questions still open
- Which cannabis formulations and delivery methods are best suited for specific cancer symptoms? Can cannabis reduce the polypharmacy burden that many cancer patients face?
Common questions
What cancer symptoms does cannabis help with most?
Can cannabis help with chemo-induced neuropathy?
Read the original research
Opportunities for cannabis in supportive care in cancer.
Therapeutic advances in medical oncology, 11, 1758835919866362
Citation
Kleckner, Amber S; Kleckner, Ian R; Kamen, Charles S; Tejani, Mohamedtaki A; Janelsins, Michelle C; Morrow, Gary R; Peppone, Luke J. (2019). Opportunities for cannabis in supportive care in cancer.. Therapeutic advances in medical oncology, 11, 1758835919866362. https://doi.org/10.1177/1758835919866362
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