The findings showed that CBD did not significantly change scan-related anxiety when compared to a placebo, but researchers did find that CBD was safe and resulted in significantly lower overall anxiety levels.
Anxiety is extremely common among adults receiving cancer care, with as many as one out of every four patients meeting the clinical criteria for anxiety. Many patients with cancer also experience scan-related anxiety (scanxiety), a condition in which individuals develop anxiety related to getting imaging studies to assess the potential spread of cancer, evaluate response to treatment, or investigate cancer-related symptoms.
There are not many good options for managing anxiety outside of benzodiazepines (medications like lorazepam or alprazolam). While benzodiazepines work, they can cause significant complications including falls and oversedation.
A new study conducted as a collaboration between researchers from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Mass General Brigham explores whether cannabidiol (CBD), a component of marijuana, can reduce anxiety levels, specifically among patients with advanced breast cancer before a scan assessing tumor burden. The randomized clinical trial compared patients who received 400 mg of CBD compared to patients who received a placebo. While the study did not meet its primary endpoint of significant difference between groups in anxiety change scores, the researchers did find that anxiety levels were significantly lower 2-to-4 hours after ingesting CBD and that CBD was safe as a treatment for anxiety among patients with breast cancer. Their results are published in JAMA Network Open.
“Our results lay the groundwork for larger, more definitive trials testing CBD in patients with breast cancer and other cancers as a way of reducing anxiety,” said co-first author Peter Chai, MD, of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a founding member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system. Chai is also a member of the Department of Psychosocial Oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.