Breast cancer patients using marijuana, not telling doctors, report shows

Half the participants sought information on medical cannabis. Websites and other patients were reported to be the most helpful sources, while physicians ranked low. Most of those who looked for information on medical marijuana were dissatisfied with the information they obtained. Most people also considered the products safe, unaware that many products’ safety is untested.

“Our study highlights an important opportunity for providers to initiate informed conversations about medical cannabis with their patients, as the evidence shows that many are using medical cannabis without our knowledge or guidance,” lead author Dr. Marisa Weiss, of breastcancer.org and Pennsylvania’s Lankenau Medical Center, said in a press release.

“Not knowing whether or not our cancer patients are using cannabis is a major blind spot in our ability to provide optimal care, and as healthcare providers, we need to do a better job of initiating informed conversations about medical cannabis with our patients to make sure their symptoms and side effects are being adequately managed while minimizing the risk of potential adverse effects, treatment interactions, or non-adherence to standard treatments due to misinformation about the use of medical cannabis to treat cancer,” she added.