In 2020, an estimated 1.8 million people in the United States will get diagnosed with cancer. Of these patients, an estimated 606,520 people will die from cancer.
As the fight against cancer continues, scientists are turning to alternative forms of treatment. Many are asking, “Can you shrink a tumor by using CBD?”
There are studies that suggest CBD could help shrink cancerous tumors. The research doesn’t stop there. Keep reading to learn more about CBD’s potential role in cancer treatment.
With this guide, you might discover an alternative option for easing cancer symptoms. Keep reading to learn more!
WHAT IS CBD?
First, it helps to develop a basic understanding of CBD and its capabilities.
CBD stands for cannabidiol. It’s one of the many compounds found within cannabis and hemp plants. These plants contain chemical components called cannabinoids.
Cannabinoids like CBD can activate certain receptors (the CB1 and CB2 receptors) within the human body. This process produces pharmacologic effects on the immune system and the central nervous system.
As a result, CBD is able to influence the body’s endocannabinoid system, potentially providing health benefits like:
Relieve inflammation and pain
Improve sleep
Increase appetite
Reduce anxiety and depression symptoms
Reduce acne and other skin concerns
Provide neuroprotection
Ease seizures
Lower high blood pressure (reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke)
CBD could help relieve inflammation. Inflammation is your body’s natural response to illness, injury, or invaders. Too much inflammation, however, can contribute to a number of health problems, including:
Heart disease
Rheumatoid arthritis
Type 2 diabetes
Asthma
Obesity
Neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s
Cancer
CBD’s anti-inflammatory properties are potentially one of the reasons it’s ideal for cancer prevention.
CBD FOR CANCER TREATMENT
Cancer treatments like radiation therapy and chemotherapy can cause a number of harmful side effects. Many patients experience nausea, pain, and vomiting.
While there are medications available that can ease these symptoms, some patients don’t experience relief from pain medication. Many cancer patients who used CBD and THC experienced a significant reduction in pain.
CBD could also help reduce nausea and vomiting symptoms induced by chemotherapy. In this study, chemotherapy patients experienced reduced chemotherapy-related nausea and vomiting after using CBD and THC.
While CBD could potentially reduce cancer and cancer treatment-related symptoms, more research is needed. Scientists are still exploring CBD’s safety and efficiency.
SHRINKING TUMORS
Can you shrink a tumor by using CBD? Recent studies are starting to look promising.
In this animal study, CBD demonstrated anti-tumor effects. It was also able to prevent breast, prostate, brain, colon, and lung cancer from spreading.
In another study, CBD was able to induce programmed cell death in breast cancer cells.
Currently, we only have test-tube and animal study data to explore. These studies both suggest that CBD might provide the same benefits for human subjects. More studies on humans are necessary before we can make clear conclusions.
HUMAN STUDIES
So far, there’s only a little data available regarding CBD’s ability to shrink tumors in human patients. For example, one senior cancer patient in the UK repeatedly refused chemotherapy treatment for his lung cancer.
Instead, he opted to use CBD for a few months.
Doctors studied his scans and recognized that his tumors halved in size after the patient began using CBD. They concluded that CBD may have reversed the progression of his lung cancer.
It’s important to note that this is only one case. Repeated trials are necessary to explore CBD’s efficiency for shrinking tumors.
In another study, the combination of THC and CBD appeared to shrink brain tumors more effectively than radiation alone.
Many scientists are asking, “can you shrink a tumor by using CBD for cancer treatment?” So far, the data looks promising. It seems that CBD can product oxygenated chemicals in the human body.
Oxygen is necessary when healing and repairing damaged tissues or cells. These oxygenated chemicals could cause cancerous cells to kill themselves. It’s also thought that CBD could stop the tumor from recruiting cells that would otherwise help cancer grow and spread.
However, it’s important to note that the US Food and Drug Administration hasn’t approved CBD as a treatment for cancer. While the data looks promising, a larger, randomized control trial is needed.
CBD ALONGSIDE CHEMOTHERAPY
While some patients might consider using hemp oil for skin cancer or other cancers, it’s more ideal as a supplement for chemotherapy treatment.
For starters, ingesting CBD can help stimulate the patient’s appetite. As a result, a patient can maintain a healthy weight. A healthy diet is essential to ensure patients receive the nutrients they need to stay strong.
Remember, CBD can also provide pain relief. Both cancer and cancer treatment can cause pain. Pain symptoms are usually caused by excess inflammation. However, nerve injury and pressure on internal organs can cause pain, too.
When the pain becomes severe, pain relief medications can become less effective.
CBD is able to act indirectly on the body’s CB2 receptors. As a result, CBD might help reduce inflammation and provide pain relief.
Patients who undergo chemotherapy treatment often experience nausea and vomiting, too.
CBD could reduce nausea and vomiting, which can further ensure patients maintain a healthy diet.
CBD FOR PREVENTING CANCER
Many people are also wondering if CBD could help prevent cancer. Research has so far provided mixed results. In one study, patients who used CBD had a 45 percent lower risk of developing bladder cancer. More long-term studies are necessary to determine if CBD can prevent cancer from forming.
POTENTIAL SIDE EFFECTS
Before you begin using CBD, it’s important to note that there are potential side effects. These can include:
Fatigue
Diarrhea
Appetite changes
Weight changes
CBD could also interact with any medications you’re already taking. Mixing CBD with certain medications could cause liver damage. Make sure to speak with your doctor before you begin using CBD.
CAN YOU SHRINK A TUMOR BY USING CBD?: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW
Can you shrink a tumor by using CBD? So far, the research looks promising. However, more trials are necessary for a proper conclusion.
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