How cannabis affects people with cancer during their first treatments
Longitudinal assessment of benefits and harms of cannabis use among community-based cancer patients during initial cancer treatment
This project follows adults starting cancer treatment and tracks the benefits and harms they experience from using cannabis.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Georgetown University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Washington, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11174362 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you are a patient beginning cancer treatment, this project will follow you over time to record whether you use cannabis, how you use it, and how your symptoms change. You would complete surveys and allow researchers to look at your medical records to track symptoms like nausea, pain, appetite, mood, sleep, infections, and medication use such as opioids. The team will compare people who use cannabis with those who do not to learn patterns of benefit and side effects in real-world, community oncology settings. Findings aim to help patients and oncology providers make clearer decisions about cannabis during initial cancer care.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults (21 years and older) with cancer who are beginning initial cancer treatment in participating community oncology clinics, especially those who use or are considering using cannabis, are ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People under 21, those not in initial cancer treatment, or patients who never use cannabis are unlikely to directly benefit from participating.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the project could give patients and providers clearer information about which symptoms cannabis may help and what harms to expect during cancer treatment.
How similar studies have performed: Previous research supports cannabis for chemotherapy-related nausea and some chronic pain, but evidence for other cancer symptoms and harms is limited, making this longer-term community-focused approach relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
Washington, United States
- Georgetown University — Washington, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Potosky, Arnold L — Georgetown University
- Study coordinator: Potosky, Arnold L
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.