Increasingly, individuals being treated for cancer are using Cannabis products, but what do they believe Cannabis is doing for them? Researchers from the University of Toronto recently surveyed a group of prostate cancer patients on ADT to evaluate their use of Cannabis and their perceptions about its benefits.
Fifty-six prostate cancer patients on ADT completed questionnaires about Cannabis use. Approximately 23% of the men who completed the questionnaires acknowledged Cannabis use within the previous 6 months. The most commonly used forms were oils/tinctures (62%) and smoking/vaporization (54%). The most commonly stated reasons for using it were to manage pain (46%), low energy (46%), hot flashes (23%) and irritability/mood (23%).
The researchers also analyzed 191 urine samples from men on ADT for evidence of tetrahydrocannabidiol (THC) consumption, the primary psychoactive component of Cannabis. Only 5.8% of the urine samples had detectable levels of THC or its breakdown products. This suggests that most of the 191 men sampled had not recently used Cannabis products.
Overall, Cannabis users on ADT tended to be younger and have lower testosterone levels compared to non-users. They also tended to have been on ADT for a shorter time than non-users (2.19 years vs. 3.28 years). The majority of users felt that Cannabis gave them “some degree of relief” from ADT side effects.
Of note, approximately 30% of the Cannabis users and non-users believed that Cannabis can directly treat their cancer. This is a troubling finding given the lack of evidence to support this belief.
The authors concluded that clinicians need to better educate patients on the biological realities of Cannabis. We agree.
To read the study abstract, please see:
https://cuaj.ca/index.php/journal/article/view/5911
Mousa, A., Petrovic, M., & Fleshner, N.E. (2019). Prevalence and predictors of cannabis use among men receiving androgen-deprivation therapy for advanced prostate cancer. Canadian Urological Association Journal. Advance Online Publication.