cannibis oil ....does it work?

[Hopes77]

I've been seeing and reading reports that natural cannabis oil has helped with the fight on treating and killing cancer.

My mum has Neuroendocrine cancer and has finished her 4th and last chemotherapy.

Unfortunately there are no trial or preventative treatment as yet.

However some reports in America and the UK swear by the above treatment to help in the treatment of cancer

I read to prevents the blood flow to the tumour and so prevents it from growing and it kills them.

What's your views on this?

[RoyCastleHelpline Partner Ask the Nurse Roy Castle]

Hi Hopes77

According to cancer research uk at the moment, there simply isn’t enough evidence to prove that cannabinoids – whether natural or synthetic – works to treat cancer in patients, although research is ongoing.

scienceblog.cancerresearchu...

Kind regards,

All the team at Roy Castle Helpline

[JanetteR57]

There has been anecdotal evidence from patients with different cancers on this but as it has been illegal here and like many other complementary treatments, clinical trials to produce reliable evidence in large enough numbers means it can also be a way of preying on vulnerable people to part with money and raise expectations/hope that may not be met. CRUK used to have a whole page explaining this on their website although having just looked, they seem to have updated their website and I can't locate it. One area being researched is whether it acts as an appetite stimulant. The treatments approved for lung cancer - an increasing number developed in the last few years are evidenced to make a difference. It's really important that your mum/you discusses her specific situation with her clinicians - lung cancer is such a diverse disease with so many differences based on different factors (heterogeneity) which is why precision medicine/personalised medicine is such a good area to research with many clinical trials testing new treatments based on the biology of the tumour and the specific patient. There are over 200 types of cancer and even with lung cancer, many different permutations.

I found 'anti-cancer' a new way of life' book really helpful by Dr Servan Shreiber with general good advice about lifestyle, diet, movement, spiritual, sleep, relationships, social aspects covered that cannot harm your mum if adopted.

Many supplements can also interfere with conventional medicine so really important to advise your mum's clinician if she is taking anything over the county alongside her treatments. good luck