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A new study reveals that many people with cancer use marijuana and that US consumption rates have increased over time. Posted online early in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the study also revealed that cancer patients are more likely to use prescription opioids than adults without cancer .
Pain is a common symptom of cancer and many patients do not have adequate pain relief. In light of the rapid evolution of marijuana legislation and the growing epidemic of opioids, a team led by Jona Hattangadi-Gluth, MD, and Kathryn Ries Tringale, MD, MAS, from the University of California at San Diego, examined trends in the use of self-disclosure of marijuana and opioids in cancer patients.
After badyzing data from the 2005-2014 US National Health and Nutrition Survey, the investigators matched 826 cancer patients with 1,652 unaffected controls. Of survey respondents who had cancer, 40.3% had used marijuana in the last year, compared to 38.0% of those without cancer. In addition, people with cancer were more likely to use prescription opioids than their counterparts without cancer in demographic terms (13.9% vs. 6.4%).
"Prospective clinical trials are needed to quantify the efficacy of marijuana in cancer-specific pain as well as the risk of opioid abuse in this patient population," Dr. Tringale said.
When they examined the rates of marijuana and opioid use in more than 19,000 people interviewed with or without cancer over a 10-year period, the researchers found a significant increase in marijuana use in Canada. over time – probably reflecting increased availability due to legislative changes – but they found stable rates of opioid use. A diagnosis of cancer did not have a significant impact on the likelihood of substance use between 2005 and 2014.
"The legalization of marijuana for medical purposes was previously badociated with a reduction in the number of hospitalizations related to opioid addiction, suggesting that if patients substitute marijuana for opioids, this could offer a potential to reduce morbidity and mortality related to opioids, "said Dr. Hattangadi-Gluth. "Of course, it will also be important to identify the risks and adverse effects of marijuana, which has not yet been studied in large randomized clinical trials, since It is clbadified as a Clbad 1 controlled substance. "
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