Raising awareness: The implementation of medical cannabis and psychedelics used as an adjunct to standard therapy in the treatment of advanced metastatic breast cancer
Rayyan Zafar, Dustin Sulak, Jaime Brambila, David Nutt, Anne Katrin Schlag
Drug Science, Policy and Law 2022 DOI: 10.1177/20503245221114323 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Case study Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1 |
| Population | A 49-year-old woman with ER+, PR-, HER2+, BRCA- invasive ductal carcinoma with bone, liver, and lymph node metastases |
| Interventions | targeted chemotherapy ketogenic diet psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy |
| Dose | high-dose protocol of mixed CBD and THC (titrated); psilocybin at macro and intermittent micro-doses |
| Duration | Five-month treatment period, with follow-up at one year and 18 months |
| Topics | Cannabis Psychedelic-assisted therapy |
| Keywords | Breast cancer Regimen Disease Oncology Chemotherapy Surgery |
| Citations | 3 |
| Key findings | After five months of adjunctive high-dose cannabinoid therapy and psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy, PET/CT showed no evidence of metastatic disease, and recurrence at 18 months was followed by receding cancer progression after the cannabis dose was returned to the initial protocol. |
Abstract
A 49-year-old woman was diagnosed with an ER + , PR-, HER2 + , BRCA- invasive ductal carcinoma which progressed metastatically to include bone, liver, and lymph node involvement. Standardised care included a 26-month treatment period with targeted chemotherapy and a ketogenic diet. The patient also began a course of cannabinoid-based therapy, consisting initially of a titrated high-dose protocol of mixed cannabidiol (CBD) and d9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) chemotypes, as well as psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy at macro and intermittent micro-doses. At the end of the five-month treatment period PET/CT investigations revealed no evidence of metastatic disease and chemotherapy was withdrawn. A one year follow up CT investigation concluded no evidence of residual or recurrent disease. A recurrence of disease was noted at 18 months follow up. Over these 18 months the cannabis regimen was titrated down to 60% of the initial protocol. This was subsequently increased to the initial dosing protocol following detection of recurrent disease and this titration occurred over a 10-month period where it remained stable. 16 months following the detection of recurrence of disease, favourable results were observed in the patient with evidence of receding cancer progression. Over the last 15 years there has been a considerable body of in-vitro and in-vivo evidence supporting the anti-neoplastic properties of cannabinoids and more recently psychedelics. Indeed, growing anecdotal and real-world evidence is reported of the therapeutic effect of cannabinoids and psychedelics in reducing both tumour proliferation and aiding as a palliative medicine to treat pain and psychological distress associated with cancer and chemotherapy. The data presented here indicate the potential therapeutic utility of such adjunctive pharmacological interventions in an individual with metastatic breast cancer.
Comparable studies
Other case reports and case series on cannabis, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hallucinogen persisting perception disorder after psilocybin consumption: a case study 18-year-old man with HPPD after mixed psilocybin and cannabis intoxication | 2005 | Case study | n = 1 |
| Cannabis‐induced Koro in Americans American men aged 22-26 with years of cannabis experience who reported negative... | 2001 | Case series | n = 3 |
| “Hallucinations” Following Acute Cannabis Dosing: A Case Report and Comparison to Other Hallucinogenic Drugs Healthy 30-year-old male | 2018 | Case study | n = 1 |
| Hallucinogen persisting perception disorder: A literature review and three case reports Patients with hallucinogen persisting perception disorder | 2018 | Case series | n = 3 |
| Cannabis Psychosis in Young Psychiatric Inpatients Consecutive psychiatric hospital admissions of patients aged 35 and under | 1986 | Case study | n = 25 |
Citations in the library
Cites 6
- Psilocybin produces substantial and sustained decreases in depression and anxiety in patients with life-threatening cancer: A randomized double-blind trial Journal of Psychopharmacology November 30, 2016
- Rapid and sustained symptom reduction following psilocybin treatment for anxiety and depression in patients with life-threatening cancer: a randomized controlled trial Journal of Psychopharmacology November 30, 2016
- Adverse effects of psychedelics: From anecdotes and misinformation to systematic science. Journal of Psychopharmacology February 2, 2022
- Psychedelics and Immunomodulation: Novel Approaches and Therapeutic Opportunities Frontiers in Immunology July 14, 2015
- Individual Experiences in Four Cancer Patients Following Psilocybin-Assisted Psychotherapy Frontiers in Pharmacology April 3, 2018
and 1 more in the library