The drug may be a breakthrough for pancreatic cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy
A cannabis drug may help to extend the lives of pancreatic cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, new research suggests.
A study undertaken by the University of London found that mice with the disease survived almost three times longer if they were treated with cannabinoid Cannabidiol (CBD) alongside chemotherapy.
Lead researcher Professor Marco Falasca, from Queen Mary University of London, said it was “a remarkable result.”
Professor Falasca said: “Cannabidiol is already approved for use in clinics, which means we can quickly go on to test this in human clinical trials.
“If we can reproduce these effects in humans, cannabidiol could be in use in cancer clinics almost immediately, compared to having to wait for authorities to approve a new drug.
“The life expectancy for pancreatic cancer patients has barely changed in the last 40 years because there are very few, and mostly only palliative care, treatments available.
“Given the five-year survival rate for people with pancreatic cancer is less than seven per cent, the discovery of new treatments and therapeutic strategies is urgently needed.”
It is already known to improve the side effects of chemotherapy, including nausea and vomiting, and so may also improve the quality of life for patients, the researchers said.
Around 380 are diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer in Ireland each year.
