Cannabidiol oil could have potential as a lung cancer treatment, after doctors discovered a patient’s tumour shrank after she self-medicated with it for months.
A report in BMJ Case Reports describes the case of a smoker in her 80s who was diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer.
Her tumour was 41mm when she was diagnosed with cancer and because there was no evidence of local or further spread, she was deemed suitable for surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy.
However, the woman, who was already being treated for mild chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), osteoarthritis, and high blood pressure, refused treatment and was placed under “watch and wait” monitoring, which included CT scans every three to six months.
These scans showed progressive shrinkage of tumour, from 41mm in June 2018 to 10mm by February 2021.
She told her doctors in 2019 she had been taking CBD oil since August 2018, shortly after her original diagnosis, on the advice of a relative.
The patient told her medical team she took 0.5ml of the oil, usually three times a day, but sometimes twice.
The main active ingredients were Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) at 19.5%, cannabidiol at around 20%, and tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA) at about 24%, and the supplier of the oil advised her to avoid hot food or drinks when taking it, so she did not get high.
Apart from a reduced appetite, the woman, who continued to smoke, said she had no other obvious side effects and there were no other changes to her prescribed medications, diet or lifestyle.
The doctors write: “We are unable to confirm the full ingredients of the CBD oil that the patient was taking or to provide information on which of the ingredient(s) may be contributing to the observed tumour regression.
“Although there appears to be a relationship between the intake of CBD oil and the observed tumour regression, we are unable to conclusively confirm that the tumour regression is due to the patient taking CBD oil.”
They call for more research to identify the mechanism of action, administration pathways, safe dosages, its effects on different types of cancer and any potential adverse side effects when using cannabinoids.
Ling Liew K, Capuano E, Yung B. Lung cancer patient who had declined conventional cancer treatment: could the self-administration of ‘CBD oil’ be contributing to the observed tumour regression? BMJ Case Reports 15 October 2021
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