A call for caution following research which suggests inhaling cannabinoids during cancer immunotherapy may be detrimental to treatment. Video / Herald NOW
Doctor and medicinal cannabis advocate Ben Jansen fears combining cannabis with cancer immunotherapy is leading to early deaths.
The New Zealand Medical Journal (NZMJ) published an editorial by Jansen today calling for both further study - and caution - in the use of medicinal cannabis during cancer-related immunotherapy.
Trained in New Zealand, Jansen has been part of the rise in cannabis-based treatments in Australia. He founded Cannabis Doctors Australia and describes himself as “both a physician involved in the medicinal cannabis industry and an advocate for patient care”.
Speaking to the Herald, Jansen said “I was giving an educational talk on medicinal cannabis to a breast cancer group and one of the patients said well, ‘I’m on immunotherapy and cannabis ... why isn’t it working?’
You should really stop your medicinal cannabis while you’re on immunotherapy.
Jansen’s NZMJ article discusses three recent studies that suggest cannabis might make immunotherapy less effective at treating cancer -resulting in earlier deaths.
The studies had limitations, including small sample sizes and some statistical discrepancies - and the way medicinal cannabis is administered may also be a factor.
Jansen is calling for rigorous well-designed trials that study the impact of factors like cancer type, cannabis dosage, socio-economic status, and patient lifestyle - especially smoking.
Until the interactions between cannabis and immunotherapy are better understood, doctors should exercise caution and ensure patients are well-informed.
Jansen said, “It’s easy to stop the cannabis while you have immunotherapy and then start again afterwards. You should give the immunotherapy the best chance to work.”
When asked if cancer patients who aren’t receiving immunotherapy should worry, Jansen said they should discuss that with their doctors.
“My experience is that medicinal cannabis can be quite life-changing and beneficial symptomatically for cancer patients, especially neuropathic type pain. But each patient is an individual and it is key that we treat the patient and not the guideline.”
Sign up to The Daily H, a free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
