Supporting gut health with medicinal cannabis in people with advanced cancer: potential benefits and challenges
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(Published version)
Date
2023
Authors
Wardill, H.R.
Wooley, L.T.
Bellas, O.M.
Cao, K.
Cross, C.B.
van Dyk, M.
Kichenadasse, G.
Bowen, J.M.
Zannettino, A.C.W.
Shakib, S.
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Journal article
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British Journal of Cancer, 2023; 130(1):19-30
Statement of Responsibility
Hannah R. Wardill, Luke T. Wooley, Olivia M. Bellas, Katrina Cao, Courtney B. Cross, Madele van Dyk, Ganessan Kichenadasse, Joanne M. Bowen, Andrew C. W. Zannettino, Sepehr Shakib, Gregory B. Crawford, Jaroslav Boublik, Mellar M. Davis, Scott D. Smid, and Timothy J. Price
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Abstract
The side effects of cancer therapy continue to cause significant health and cost burden to the patient, their friends and family, and governments. A major barrier in the way in which these side effects are managed is the highly siloed mentality that results in a fragmented approach to symptom control. Increasingly, it is appreciated that many symptoms are manifestations of common underlying pathobiology, with changes in the gastrointestinal environment a key driver for many symptom sequelae. Breakdown of the mucosal barrier (mucositis) is a common and early side effect of many anti-cancer agents, known to contribute (in part) to a range of highly burdensome symptoms such as diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting, infection, malnutrition, fatigue, depression, and insomnia. Here, we outline a rationale for how, based on its already documented effects on the gastrointestinal microenvironment, medicinal cannabis could be used to control mucositis and prevent the constellation of symptoms with which it is associated. We will provide a brief update on the current state of evidence on medicinal cannabis in cancer care and outline the potential benefits (and challenges) of using medicinal cannabis during active cancer therapy.
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© The Author(s) 2023. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.