Case study: Can CBD oil shrink lung cancer tumors?
Source: Medical News Today
A case study links daily use of cannabidiol (CBD) oil with lung cancer regression in a woman in her 80s who refused conventional treatment.
Progressive tumor reduction
Doctors in the United Kingdom recently published an article in the journal BMJ Case Reports. The case report describes a woman in her 80s with lung cancer who experienced tumor regression while taking CBD oil.
She also has a history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, high blood pressure, and osteoarthritis and received medications to treat these conditions.
The woman reported smoking just over a pack of cigarettes per week, or 68 packs per year, before and after diagnosis. In June and July 2018, doctors examined the woman, which included a CT scan, a PET scan, an MRI scan, and a biopsy, to stage and confirm the diagnosis.
The doctors reached a diagnosis of stage IIB non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The initial CT scan showed a 41-millimeter (mm), or 1.6-inch (in), nodule in the middle lobe of the woman’s right lung.
Testing revealed no lymph node involvement or metastases, which is when cancer spreads to other parts of the body. For this reason, the doctors recommended curative treatment.
Treatment for NSCLC may include surgery, radiofrequency ablation, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy.
The doctors repeated the chest CT scan in September 2018, which showed a reduction of the right middle lobe cancer to 33 mm (1.3 in), and two new nodules in the left apex and right upper lobe.
The woman declined surgical removal of the lobe due to the risks of surgery. She also declined treatment with radiofrequency ablation because of the side effects that her late husband had experienced from radiation therapy.
The doctors decided to monitor the patient, conducting CT scans every 3–6 months. During the 2.5-year follow-up period, CT scans showed a progressive decrease of the initial right middle lobe nodule from 41 mm (1.6 in) in June 2018 to 10 mm (0.4 in) in February 2021.
At this time, the woman revealed she started taking CBD oil at a dose of 0.5 milliliters orally three times daily, and occasionally twice daily, shortly after her diagnosis.
The active ingredients specified by the supplier were THC (19.5%), CBD (20.05%), and tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (23.8%).
Upon the supplier’s advice, the woman did not take the CBD oil with hot food or drinks, because she wanted to avoid “feeling stoned.” She reported decreased appetite while taking CBD oil.
The woman did not change her diet, lifestyle, or prescribed medications during this time. She also reported continuing to smoke one pack of cigarettes per week during the surveillance period.
