Impact of Daily Oral Cannabis Doses in Patients With Cancer

Launched by SHANNA BABALONIS, PHD · Sep 13, 2024

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial, titled "Impact of Daily Oral Cannabis Doses in Patients With Cancer," is looking to understand how daily doses of cannabis might help patients with cancer manage their symptoms, such as pain, nausea, and sleep issues. The study will last about four months, and participants will be randomly assigned to receive either an active cannabis dose or a placebo (which contains no active ingredients). There’s a 75% chance that participants will receive the active cannabis, while there’s a 25% chance they will receive the placebo. The main goals of the study are to assess how safe cannabis is for people with cancer and whether it can improve their overall quality of life.

To participate, individuals must be at least 18 years old and have a confirmed diagnosis of cancer. They should be undergoing treatment for their cancer and have been on their current treatment for at least one month. Participants will also need to pass a urine drug test to ensure they are not using cannabis or other illicit drugs before joining the trial. During the study, participants will take the cannabis daily and will be monitored closely for any side effects or changes in their symptoms. It's important to note that individuals who are pregnant or breastfeeding, or have certain medical conditions, may not be eligible to participate.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Example Inclusion Criteria:
• • Histologically or cytologically confirmed locally advanced or metastatic solid tumors with any types. This applies to either newly diagnosed cancer or preexisting ones on treatment.
• • Patients with active cancers and currently under any line of treatment (please see notable exceptions in the exclusion criteria - patients taking checkpoint inhibitors and investigational agents will not be eligible - also exclusionary medications).
• • Patients have been taking their current anti-cancer therapy regimen for at least one month prior to enrollment (to ensure no safety or toxicity issues with study drug initiation).
• • Age ≥18 years.
• • ECG and lab values demonstrating adequate organ and marrow function at baseline (pre-study).
• • Negative urine drug screen for all illicit drugs and THC, CBD prior to randomization
• • Ability to understand and the willingness to sign a written informed consent document
• • Individuals able to become pregnant will agree to practice an effective form of contraception (e.g., oral birth control pills, condoms, abstinence) for the duration of enrollment (note: urine pregnancy testing will occur monthly)
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • History of hypersensitivity to cannabis or cannabinoids
• • Current, regular use of cannabis/marijuana or THC-containing medications (dronabinol, nabilone) or cannabidiol (Epidiolex) or over-the-counter (OTC) CBD oil.
• • Concomitant use of checkpoint inhibitors (e.g., anti-PD1, PDL1, CTLA4) or other drugs for which an cannabinoid interaction may occur.
• • Current use of investigational agents, \<3 months after the use of investigational agents
• • Cardiac conditions contraindicated for cannabis use
• • Diagnosis of HPV-related cancer, as there is some evidence that cannabis is contraindicated
• • Allergy to any constituent/ingredient contained in the edible dose
• • Psychiatric illness/social situations that would limit compliance with study requirements (e.g., bipolar disorder, psychosis, severe depression/anxiety).
• • Pregnant or breastfeeding (note: participants will be tested for pregnancy (urine sample) once per month during enrollment)
• • Current moderate/severe drug or alcohol use disorder (including cannabis use disorder), positive urine drug screen for illicit drugs or cannabis, or positive alcohol (breathalyzer) during screening
• • History of seizure disorder, epilepsy (controlled or uncontrolled)
• • Current legal obligations (parole, probation, incarceration, urine drug screen requirements as part of parole/probation/previous incarceration)
• • Currently enrolled in substance use treatment
• • Self-reported cannabis and synthetic cannabinoid use in the past 30 days (medical or non-medical use is exclusionary)
• • Self-reported illicit drug use in past 60 days (ex: methamphetamine, heroin, illicit fentanyl)
• • Self-reported daily alcohol use
• • Providing a urine sample testing positive for cannabinoids (THC, CBD) or synthetic cannabinoids (K2, Spice-like compounds)
• • Providing a sample testing positive for alcohol (breathalyzer) or non-medical use of other drugs (methamphetamine, cocaine) during screening; testing positive during enrollment will lead to discontinuation of the participant's enrollment
• • No access to internet/data or devices needed to participate in daily video calls