Does cannabis oil have effect in untreatable liver cancer patients?

Two patients who were deemed uncurable demonstrated total disappearance of liver cancer after using cannabis oil. The University Medical Center Groningen and Bedrocan International BV aim to explore a possible anti-cancer effect of cannabis oil in liver cancer patients.

Primary liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma, HCC) is the third most frequent cause of cancer-related death in the world. For the majority of these patients, no curable option exist and life can only be extended, with an overall survival of approximately 1 year. For up to one third of the patients, no treatment exists at all. Since the occurrence of primary liver cancer is rising each year, new treatment options are being searched.  

In this project, 20 patients with untreatable liver cancer will be treated with oral cannabis oil containing 10% tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and 5% cannabidiol (CBD). Three times a day, they will administer the oil under the tongue. First, the dose will be determined; every day the patients takes a little bit more cannabis oil until they experience side effects. The correct dose is defined by the highest dose by which they do not experience any side effects. Then, every 3 months after starting cannabis oil, imaging and blood tests will be performed to look for a possible anti-cancer effect. Additionally, quality-of-life questionnaires will be taken to look for other beneficial effects. For participation, patients need to have a sustained liver function.

The total duration of the study will be 9 months. In case a possible anti-cancer effect may be demonstrated in these patients, this project will take a look at the possible working mechanisms by blood and tumor analyses. Additionally, this porject may perform research in other tumor types to explore possible anti-cancer effects.