How CANNABIS can treat cancer: Study finds compound in the plant can help shrink aggressive brain tumours
In some, they virtually disappeared, hailed as 'extremely exciting'
In some, they virtually disappeared, hailed as 'extremely exciting'
Cannabis can have a dramatic effect on aggressive forms of brain cancer, a new study shows.
The new research, conducted by specialists at St George's, University of London, studied the treatment of brain tumours in the laboratory.
It found the most effective treatment was to combine active chemical components of the cannabis plant, which are known as cannabinoids.
Two of these - called tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) - were tested as part of the research into brain cancer.
This is particularly difficult to treat and claims the lives of about 5,200 patients each year.
It also has a particularly poor prognosis as the rate of survival after five years of patients' diagnosis is around 10 per cent,
The new research is the first to show a drastic effect when combining THC and CBD with radiation.
Dr Wai Liu, Senior Research Fellow and lead researcher on the project, said: 'The results are extremely exciting.
'The tumours were treated in a variety of ways - either with no treatment, the cannabinoids alone, and radiation alone.
'Or, with both the cannabinoids and radiation at the same time.
'Those treated with both radiation and the cannabinoids saw the most beneficial results and a drastic reduction in size.
In some cases, the tumours effectively disappeared in the animals.
'The benefits of the cannabis plant elements were known before.
'But the drastic reduction of brain cancers - if used with radiation - is something new and may well prove promising for patients who are in gravely serious situations with such cancers in the future.'
Here, writing in The Conversation, Dr Lui describes his work in detail...
Widely proscribed around the world for its recreational uses, cannabis is being used in a number of different therapeutic ways to bring relief for severe medical conditions.
Products using cannabinoids, the active components of the cannabis plant, have been licensed for medical use.
Sativex, for example, which contains an equal mixture of the cannabinoids tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), is already licenced as a mouth spray for multiple sclerosis.
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