Does marijuana help people with hepatic cancer?

Answer 1

Marijuana smoking does not appear to cause progression of liver fibrosis in the Canadian HIV/HCV Co-infection Cohort studyApril 2012

Authors:Brunet L, Moodie EE, Rollet K, Tyndall M, Potter M, Conway B, Walmsley S, Pick N, Cooper C, Cox J, Klein MB for the Canadian Co-infection Cohort (CTN222)

Location: 21st Annual Canadian Conference on HIV/AIDS Research (CAHR 2012) Montreal

Background:

The literature on the effect of cannabis on liver diseases is conflicting. Cell cultures and animal model studies conclude that cannabidiol could have a therapeutic effect on liver injuries. However, cross-sectional studies of chronic HCV patients suggest that daily cannabis use is associated with fibrosis and steatosis. This study aims at estimating the causal effect of marijuana use on liver fibrosis progression in the Canadian Co-infection Cohort study.

Methods:

HIV/HCV co-infected individuals were followed-up every six month. At each visit, they provided information on marijuana use which was then categorized as (1) did not use, (2) used occasionally, (3) used daily, ≤4 joints/day, and (4) used daily, >4 joints/day, based on the median. To account for time-dependent confounding, marginal structural pooled logistic regression models were used to assess the effect of marijuana use on progression to significant fibrosis (APRI>=1.5). Baseline (age, sex, ethnicity, low income, duration of HCV infection) and updated characteristics (CD4 cell count, HIV viral load, antiretroviral therapy, alcohol use, illicit opioid use and other IDU) were included in the inverse probability of treatment weights calculation.

Results:

A total of 843 patients contributed 3,914 person-visits and 161 progressed to significant fibrosis. At baseline, 52% had smoked marijuana in the past 6 months (median: 2 joints/day [IQR: 1-4]), of whom 37% smoked daily; 40% smoked to relieve symptoms, 42% to increase appetite, and 46% for fun. There was no causal association between progression to liver fibrosis and smoking occasionally (OR: 0.81 [95% CI: 0.49-1.34]), smoking ≤4 joints daily (OR: 0.47 [0.19-1.15]), or smoking >4 joints daily (OR: 1.26 [0.61-2.63]), compared to individuals who did not smoke.

Conclusion:

Marijuana smoking does not have a causal effect on progression to liver disease in co-infected individuals. Self-medication, causing time-dependent confounding, could have lead to the association observed in previous cross-sectional studies.

Answer 2

marijuana helps with chemotherapy, it helps with naseau and pain. but the best part about it is it prevents cancer cells from spreading.