Oncologists Should Recommend Cannabis-Based Medicine for Palliative Care
In Summary:
Earlier this June, a review was published that encourages oncologists to recommend cannabis products to their patients as a safe and effective method of palliative care. The opinion piece highlights how cannabis is a useful treatment for a variety of illnesses (nausea, vomiting, sleep, mood, anxiety), and encourages practitioners to prescribe cannabis for their patients so that they can appreciate the safety and effectiveness of the product.
Title: Identification of Novel Predictive Biomarkers for Endometrial Malignancies- N-Acylethanolamines
A recent study has demonstrated that specific members of the endocannabinoid system may serve as potential biochemical markers for endometrial cancer. Elevated levels of two products of the endocannabinoid system (N-palmitoylethanolamine and N-arachidonoylethanolamine), reflect the production of endometrial tumors.
By screening for elevated levels of those substances, it may be easier for physicians to more quickly recognize the possible presence of endometrial tumors, leading to a potentially sooner diagnosis and intervention. Further research should be conducted to see if there is an even stronger connection between the dysregulation of the endocannabinoid system and endometrial cancer.
This study highlights the far-reaching arms of the endocannabinoid system that are still so poorly understood. Until the federal government supports the research of cannabis and helps the general public to recognize it as a medically useful substance, research will continue to be limited and stifled. Government-sponsored research is required to boost the growing data that is currently limited by a reliance on private funding. State governments continue to legalize medical marijuana and recognize the medical and economic benefits of cannabis-based medicines. As local legislature demonstrates the success of medical cannabis programs, many patients continue to look to the federal government to follows suit, to further support our fellow citizens in need.
