CBD Shows Promise in Reducing Melanoma Tumors, According to Study
A recent study conducted at the Augusta University Medical Center in Georgia has shown that cannabidiol (CBD) has the potential to be used as a treatment for melanoma tumors. The research demonstrated that CBD effectively reduced tumor size in mice and increased the chances of recovery.
While the effects of CBD were not as significant as those of cisplatin, a more conventional chemotherapy medication, the researchers noted that subjects given CBD-chemotherapy experienced a higher quality of life. The study, which was published in the Journal of Surgical Research, focused on mice as subjects.
Melanoma is the most common and deadliest form of cancer worldwide. Rates of diagnosis for this disease have seen a dramatic increase over the past few decades, outpacing almost all other cancers. In 2018 alone, it was estimated that 91,270 people in the United States would be diagnosed with new cases of melanoma.
Melanoma is an aggressive and complex disease that can be divided into two groups: melanoma and nonmelanoma skin cancers. The focus of this study was on melanoma, which develops when skin cells called melanocytes mutate and multiply, forming life-threatening tumors.
Thanks to modern treatments, such as surgery to remove tumors or lymph nodes, nine out of ten melanoma patients now live beyond ten years after their diagnosis. However, more advanced tumors may require radiotherapy and chemotherapy, which often come with side effects such as pain, fatigue, and hair loss.
The researchers from Georgia believe that these side effects could potentially become a thing of the past with the use of CBD. In their study, they used lab mice injected with a melanoma cell line to induce tumor growth. The mice were then divided into groups and given either CBD, cisplatin, or a placebo treatment. Tumor size was measured continuously until they reached 12mm, at which point the mice were euthanized according to animal care guidelines.
The placebo group had the shortest lifespan, lasting an average of 15 days. The CBD-treated mice lived for an average of 19 days, while the cisplatin-treated mice had the longest survival time, with an average lifespan of 24 days. This pattern was also observed in the size of the tumors, with the cisplatin-treated group having the smallest tumors after 14 days.
Despite these findings, the researchers noted that the mice given CBD had a higher quality of life compared to the other groups. These mice showed improved movement and fewer fights or hostile interactions, indicating that CBD may have a positive impact on their well-being.
However, it is important to note that this study had its limitations. In advanced cases of melanoma, combined therapy involving multiple drugs is often used. Since the mice in this study were only given CBD by itself and not in combination with other anti-cancer drugs, it is difficult to draw definitive conclusions about its practical effects in a clinical setting.
Additionally, euthanizing the mice when their tumors reached 12mm can be seen as a limitation. This prevented the collection of potential long-term data from each subject and instead only provided information up until an arbitrary endpoint of tumor growth.
The researchers stress that this study was a small pilot investigation aimed at evaluating the effect of CBD on melanoma in an animal model. They hope that these initial findings will encourage further research in this area, leading to a better understanding of how CBD can be effectively utilized in melanoma treatments.
In conclusion, while CBD shows promise in reducing melanoma tumors according to this study, more research is needed to determine its true potential for human treatment.
