Does CBD Have the Potential To Help Fight Lung Cancer?
Lung cancer is a type of cancer that begins in the lungs and is most frequently associated with smoking.
Typical treatments can include radiation, immunotherapy, surgery, and chemotherapy. CBD has been found to significantly reduce the symptoms of chemotherapy, such as pain, nausea, and vomiting.
Cannabidiol containing less than 0.3% THC has now been legal in the U.S. for two years. The 2018 Farm Bill removed hemp from the list of illegal plants and designated it as an agricultural crop. This allowed for hemp products, including CBD, to be farmed, processed, distributed and sold across the country.
Other countries have long used this incredibly versatile plant and its various components, including cannabidiol. Thus, there exists a wide range of experiential support for the benefits of CBD. In the U.S., scientists are now seeking to support or refute the many claims about the effects of the compound on numerous health conditions, including lung cancer.
Lung Cancer Defined
Lung cancer is a disease that originates in the lungs. There are several types of lung cancers, and each of these affects different cells within different sections of the lungs.
Lung cancer is most frequently associated with smoking or exposure to second-hand smoke. Certainly, one of the greatest smoking dangers is the development of this deadly disease. However, there are other causes, such as exposure to air pollution, radon and asbestos, but these are much rarer than smoking.
What Are the Symptoms?
The beginning stages of lung cancer frequently are not associated with any symptoms, making early diagnosis challenging. In addition, the spread of the cancer leads to symptoms that are similar to those from other conditions. Some common symptoms of lung cancer include:
- A persistent cough
- Chest Pain
- Wheezing
- Shortness of breath
- Unexplained weight loss
What Are the Treatment Options?
The type of treatments lung cancer patients receive are similar to those for other cancers, and they depend on factors such as the stage of cancer, patient’s age and whether the cancer has spread. Standard courses of treatment can include radiation, immunotherapy, surgery and chemotherapy.
How CBD Can Help
Chemotherapy treatment frequently occurs with lung cancer, as detection often does not happen until after the cancer has spread. Chemo leads to a host of harsh side effects, including neuropathic pain, nausea and vomiting. CBD has been found to significantly reduce all of these, even when other pain medications prove ineffective.
Research is nascent on the impact of using cannabidiol as a treatment method for lung cancer. However, one interesting case study demonstrates CBD’s potential, as a patient who refused other forms of treatment and self-administered CBD saw a reduction in tumor size after one month.
One of cannabidiol’s many benefits is in alleviating some of the effects of chemotherapy. Scientists are just beginning to understand the potential for CBD to induce cell death, but one case study demonstrated striking results for a lung cancer patient.
