According to a 2022 meta-analysis of 12 studies, wherein ten studies were with breast cancer, and 2 were with lung cancer patients, finding a pooled cancer pain incidence rate of 40%. It has been witnessed for decades that paracetamol and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are universally accepted as part of cancer pain treatment, but recently it has been developed that strong opioids are the mainstay of analgesic therapy for the treatment of moderate to severe cancer-related pain. The last few decades saw huge declines in opioids given to patients with active cancer, with a concurrent increase in marijuana use among cancer survivors possibly related to state medical marijuana legalization. Marijuana can benefit many people suffering from various diseases, including those with chronic brain dysfunctions. It has been shown to improve Alzheimer’s condition. Veterans or other people who are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder could benefit from marijuana as well. It causes traumatic victims to relive that pain of trauma, whether it be through anxiety or panic attacks or having visions of the traumatic event.
Our DBMR team investigated the global lung cancer therapeutics market and witnessed North America dominating the lung cancer therapeutics market because of the rise in incidence of lung cancer and the growing aging population within the region. Asia-Pacific (APAC) is expected to witness significant growth during the forecast period of 2022 to 2029 due to the increased use of lung cancer therapies due to rising tobacco smoking in the region.
To know more about the study, kindly visit: https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/reports/global-lung-cancer-therapeutics-market
This recent wave of marijuana legalization is making the population drift towards marijuana use rather than opioid use. Though medical marijuana has been studied and found to be very helpful for relief of pain in patients surviving with advanced cancer pain not fully relieved by strong opioids, a 2016 study review recommended that while marijuana may have the great potential for refractory cancer pain, majority of the data are based on animal data, small trials, or are outdated.
Our DBMR team investigated the global legal marijuana market and witnessed that the COVID-19 pandemic had a negative impact on the legal marijuana market owing to the disrupted supply chain management of cannabis products. North America dominates the legal marijuana market because of government regulations and the legalization of marijuana for medical as well as adult (recreational) use within the region.
To know more about the study, kindly visit: https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/reports/global-legal-marijuana-market
A study titled, “Medical Marijuana Legalization and Opioid- and Pain-Related Outcomes Among Patients Newly Diagnosed With Cancer Receiving Anticancer Treatment” by Yuhua Bao et.al discussed the outcomes of patients with marijuana and opioid use.
This was a cross-sectional study using 2012 to 2017 national commercial claims data and a difference-in-differences design to evaluate the relationship between medical marijuana legalization that took effect between 2012 and 2017 and opioid-related and pain-related outcomes for patients who are under cancer treatment. The researchers evaluated numerous measures, including the proportion of patients having one or more days of opioids and one or more pain-related emergency department visits or hospital events during the 6 months after the diagnosis of a new developing cancer.
A total of 38,189 patients with newly diagnosed with breast cancer (100 percent women); 12,816 with colorectal cancer (55.4 percent men); and 7,190 with lung cancer (51.1 percent women) were included to study.
Primary and Secondary Outcomes:
- Having opioid consumption for 1 or more days of opioids, 1 or more days of long-acting opioids, total morphine milligram equivalents of any opioid dispensed to patients with 1 or more opioid days, and 1 or more pain-related emergency department visits or hospitalizations during the 6 months after the diagnosis of new cancer.
- Interaction terms were included between each policy indicator and an indicator of recent opioids, defined as having 1 or more opioid prescriptions during the 12 months before the new cancer diagnosis. Logistic models were assessed for dichotomous outcomes, and generalized linear models were estimated for morphine milligram equivalents.
Our DBMR team investigated the global opioids market and witnessed that the expected CAGR of opioids market is tend to be around 3.50% in the mentioned forecast period. Furthermore, North America is projected to have the highest market growth because of the increase in cases of cancer and high consumption of opioids drugs, along with high public awareness. Also, Asia-Pacific dominates the market because of the rise in government initiatives and rapidly increasing disposable income.
To know more about the study, kindly visit: https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/reports/global-opioids-market
Study Results:
- Among the breast cancer patients, medical marijuana legalization was associated with a reduction in the rate of 1 or more opioid days from 90.1% to 84.4%.
- There was also a reduction for colorectal cancer patients, this time from 89.4% to 84.4%.
- For lung cancer patients, opioid use was reduced from 31.5% to 22.1% among patients with recent opioids.
- Among lung cancer patients, who had recent opioid use, the legalization of medical marijuana was related with a reduction in the rate of 1 or more long-acting opioid days from 31.5% to 22.1%. Medical marijuana legalization was also related with a reduction in the rate of 1 or more pain-related hospital events from 19.3% to 13.0%
Discussion:
The researchers of this study said that legal access to medical marijuana may have led several oncologists and other specialists to prescribe fewer opioids. Medical marijuana legalization led the lower demand for opioids by patients who use marijuana when self-managing pain as well as by those who were hesitant to complain about pain when perceiving marijuana as an alternative to opioids. They further added that the magnitude of the decline in use ranged by the type of cancer and whether the patient received prescription opioids before their cancer diagnosis. Scientists noted a noticeable but nonsignificant reduction among breast cancer patients.
Conclusion:
With the rising medical marijuana legalization, marijuana may be a suitable replacement for opioids for cancer-related pain to some extent, with not much awareness about its effectiveness or safety. These associations' implications for patient safety and quality of life need to be further examined. The national legalization of marijuana would provide a huge number of benefits. With the legalization, it is becoming a larger topic of discussion, but there is still an increasing number of people who do not believe in the concept of legalization of marijuana.
