Of all the diseases in the world, cancer is the leading cause of mortalities around the world. The word cancer is a broad term used to refer to a number of diseases that can occur in any part of the body when abnormal cells grow and begin to increase irrepressibly.
Depending on the type of cancer, it can spread to adjoining parts of the body and affect those areas too. The sad truth is while some forms of cancer are treatable, others cannot be treated, particularly if cancer has metastasized.
Furthermore, cancer treatment is also very rigorous and tends to take a toll on the individuals going through it. In such an instance, Cannabis has been found to be very effective in helping patients suffering from cancer. Numerous studies in the field suggest a strong correlation between Cannabis and the underlying issues triggered by cancer treatment, particularly chemotherapy.
Cannabinoids derived from Cannabis are being touted as the miracle drug revolutionizing the course of treatment for various medical conditions. Two of the compounds or cannabinoids derived from Cannabis, i.e., CBD and THC, have been the focus of multiple studies, and they have been found to be helpful for various medical conditions, including cancer.
Here is how Cannabis can be helpful for cancer patients.
Pain Relief
Many cancer patients turn to opioids for dealing with pain. They can use Cannabis simultaneously to decrease the pain signals. Thus it can help reduce their cancer-induced pain when other therapies or conventional treatment methods fail to work. While other methods may need to be employed to deal with severe pain but Cannabis has anti-inflammatory properties and can be helpful for pain management to some extent.
Relief from nausea and vomiting
Chemotherapy is the usual course of treatment that is employed to treat multiple types of cancer. However, the treatment has various side effects that tend to have a highly adverse impact. Common side effects include nausea and vomiting, which most patients undergoing chemotherapy suffer from.
Research has shown that Cannabis can be very instrumental in this regard as it can help subside nausea and vomiting and help cancer patients feel better generally. The FDA-approved drug called dronabinol, which contains THC, is generally prescribed to patients for this purpose.
Prevention from weight loss
Drugs containing THC, such as dronabinol, are also being administered to retrieve lost appetite and aid in improving the general well-being of cancer patients by keeping their nausea at bay and helping them eat better. Proper nutritional intake is important for the patients so that they can function normally and keep the detrimental impact of treatment in check so that they can fight the disease with more energy. THC thus stimulates their appetite and can also help prevent weight loss, which is a common occurrence due to lack of appetite.
Conclusive Remarks
As you know, cannabinoids interact with the cannabinoid receptors in the body, particularly the CB1 and CB2, which are commonly found in the brain, CNS and immune cells. The possibility of whether Cannabis can help treat cancer is an interesting area and is being explored further to reveal valid findings. For now, there is a high degree of skepticism surrounding the theory due to a lack of research. You can gather more info on TopshelfBC – Online Dispensary Canada.