Cannabis and Pancreatic Cancer – New Research and Upcoming Clinical Trial
Pancreatic cancer (PC) is a particularly aggressive form of cancer with a poor prognosis. Since early-stage PC usually shows nearly no symptoms, up to 80% of cases are diagnosed only after the cancer has advanced to a later stage. Even for patients who are diagnosed early, there is only a 10% chance of becoming disease-free after treatment, and an average survival time of 3 to 3.5 years. Overall, the combined five-year survival rate for PC patients is just 5 to 10%. New treatments are critically needed to extend survival times and save lives. Thankfully, emerging evidence strongly suggests that cannabis can play a role in treating PC.
Both primary phytocannabinoids, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), have been shown to kill PC cells. A study conducted in 2006 by researchers with Complutense University in Spain found that THC induced programmed cell death (apoptosis) in four PC cell lines via activation of CB2 receptors. Tumors generated in mice exhibited slower growth in response to THC or a synthetic cannabinoid (JWH) than with no treatment.
A 2018 study led by Dr. Marco Falasca with Curtin University in Perth, Australia found that CBD worked with the chemotherapeutic agent gemcitabine to extend survival of cancerous mice by three times compared to gemcitabine alone or no treatment. The treatment combination also reduced pancreatic tumor cell proliferation in the mice, and CBD helped prevent resistance of the cancer cells to gemcitabine’s effects.
The latest preclinical study was published in 2020 in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences, and confirmed the ability of THC and CBD to inhibit proliferation of PC cells and suppress tumor growth in animals. Interestingly, by decreasing levels of a protein that inhibits immune function, the THC and CBD may have boosted the destruction of PC cells by immune cells. In the chart below, CT are the control mice that received no treatment, while “Can” mice received cannabis oil containing a 1:1 THC:CBD blend. WT (wild-type) means normal, non-modified mice with natural CB1 and CB2 cannabinoid receptors present.
There is emerging human evidence that CBD could help fight pancreatic cancer. A case series published in August 2020 by Austrian doctors followed nine patients who used CBD for PC. All but two also received standard chemotherapy, and the most common dose was 400mg per day. The average overall survival was 11.5 months, about twice as long as would have been expected based on comparison to a different population-based study. Given the demonstrated ability of CBD to synergize with chemotherapy to inhibit PC growth, it is not surprising that survival benefits have been reported.
Dr. Falasca, who conducted the above 2018 study, is currently seeking to conduct a human trial of CBD with PC patients. Donations are currently being accepted on GoFundMe to support the trial . The Cannabis for Cancer Declaration strongly encourages you to donate what you can to help make this happen. There are rarely direct opportunities to assist such important research on cannabis and cancer. If you cannot donate, sharing this information is also tremendously helpful. With further research and more awareness, the possibility of cannabis becoming a mainstream tool for fighting cancer becomes ever greater.
