scholarly journals A user’s guide to cannabinoid therapies in oncology

2016 ◽  
Vol 23 (6) ◽  
pp. 398 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Maida ◽  
P.J. Daeninck

“Cannabinoid” is the collective term for a group of chemical compounds that either are derived from the Cannabis plant, are synthetic analogues, or occur endogenously. Although cannabinoids interact mostly at the level of the currently recognized cannabinoid receptors, they might have cross reactivity, such as at opioid receptors.Patients with malignant disease represent a cohort within health care that have some of the greatest unmet needs despite the availability of a plethora of guideline-driven disease-modulating treatments and pain and symptom management options. Cannabinoid therapies are varied and versatile, and can be offered as pharmaceuticals (nabilone, dronabinol, and nabiximols), dried botanical material, and edible organic oils infused with cannabis extracts. Cannabinoid therapy regimens can be creative, involving combinations of all of the aforementioned modalities. Patients with malignant disease, at all points of their disease trajectory, could be candidates for cannabinoid therapies whether as monotherapies or as adjuvants.The most studied and established roles for cannabinoid therapies include pain, chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, and anorexia. Moreover, given their breadth of activity, cannabinoids could be used to concurrently optimize the management of multiple symptoms, thereby reducing overall polypharmacy. The use of cannabinoid therapies could be effective in improving quality of life and possibly modifying malignancy by virtue of direct effects and in improving compliance or adherence with disease-modulating treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

1993 ◽  
Vol 58 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Maddelein ◽  
J. Neirynck ◽  
G. Sioen

Mature  Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris  L.) stands are dominating large parts of the Flemish forest area. Broadleaved  species regenerate spontaneously under this pine canopy. This study studied  the growth and development of two planted pine stands with an older natural  regeneration, dominated by pedunculate oak (Quercus  robur L.), and discussed management options for  similar stands.     The results indicated a rather good growth of the stands, with current  annual increments of 5 m3.ha-1.yr-1. The pine overstorey is growing into valuable sawwood  dimensions, while the broadleaved understorey slowly grows into the  upperstorey. The quality of the regeneration is moderate but can be improved  by silvicultural measurements (pruning, early selection).     In both stands, an interesting (timber production, nature conservation)  admixture of secondary tree species is present in the regeneration. Stand  management is evolving from the classical clearcut system towards a  combination of a type of selection and group selection system.


Author(s):  
Anna Lewandowska ◽  
Grzegorz Rudzki ◽  
Tomasz Lewandowski ◽  
Sławomir Rudzki

(1) Background: As the literature analysis shows, cancer patients experience a variety of different needs. Each patient reacts differently to the hardships of the illness. Assessment of needs allows providing more effective support, relevant to every person’s individual experience, and is necessary for setting priorities for resource allocation, for planning and conducting holistic care, i.e., care designed to improve a patient’s quality of life in a significant way. (2) Patients and Methods: A population survey was conducted between 2018 and 2020. Cancer patients, as well as their caregivers, received an invitation to take part in the research, so their problems and needs could be assessed. (3) Results: The study involved 800 patients, 78% women and 22% men. 66% of the subjects were village residents, while 34%—city residents. The mean age of patients was 62 years, SD = 11.8. The patients received proper treatment within the public healthcare. The surveyed group of caregivers was 88% women and 12% men, 36% village residents and 64% city residents. Subjects were averagely 57 years old, SD 7.8. At the time of diagnosis, the subjects most often felt anxiety, despair, depression, feelings of helplessness (46%, 95% CI: 40–48). During illness and treatment, the subjects most often felt fatigued (79%, 95% CI: 70–80). Analysis of needs showed that 93% (95% CI: 89–97) of patients experienced a certain level of need for help in one or more aspects. (4) Conclusions: Patients diagnosed with cancer have a high level of unmet needs, especially in terms of psychological support and medical information. Their caregivers also experience needs and concerns regarding the disease. Caregivers should be made aware of the health consequences of cancer and consider appropriate supportive care for their loved ones.


Antioxidants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 412
Author(s):  
Katarzyna Dziąbowska-Grabias ◽  
Małgorzata Sztanke ◽  
Przemysław Zając ◽  
Michał Celejewski ◽  
Katarzyna Kurek ◽  
...  

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are a group of chronic, incurable diseases of the digestive tract, the etiology of which remains unclear to this day. IBD result in significant repercussions on the quality of patients’ life. There is a continuous increase in the incidence and prevalence of IBD worldwide, and it is becoming a significant public health burden. Pharmaceuticals commonly used in IBD management, for example, mesalamine, sulfasalazine, corticosteroids, and others, expose patients to diverse, potentially detrimental side effects and frequently do not provide sufficient disease control. The chronic inflammation underlies the etiology of IBD and closely associates with oxidative/nitrosative stress and a vast generation of reactive oxygen/nitrogen species. Relative to this, several substances with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties are now intensively researched as possible adjunctive or independent treatment options in IBD. Representatives of several different groups, including natural and chemical compounds will be characterized in this dissertation.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabrizio Luppi ◽  
Meena Kalluri ◽  
Paola Faverio ◽  
Michael Kreuter ◽  
Giovanni Ferrara

AbstractIdiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic and progressive disorder with an estimated median survival time of 3–5 years after diagnosis. This condition occurs primarily in elderly subjects, and epidemiological studies suggest that the main risk factors, ageing and exposure to cigarette smoke, are associated with both pulmonary and extrapulmonary comorbidities (defined as the occurrence of two or more disorders in a single individual). Ageing and senescence, through interactions with environmental factors, may contribute to the pathogenesis of IPF by various mechanisms, causing lung epithelium damage and increasing the resistance of myofibroblasts to apoptosis, eventually resulting in extracellular matrix accumulation and pulmonary fibrosis. As a paradigm, syndromes featuring short telomeres represent archetypal premature ageing syndromes and are often associated with pulmonary fibrosis. The pathophysiological features induced by ageing and senescence in patients with IPF may translate to pulmonary and extrapulmonary features, including emphysema, pulmonary hypertension, lung cancer, coronary artery disease, gastro-oesophageal reflux, diabetes mellitus and many other chronic diseases, which may lead to substantial negative consequences in terms of various outcome parameters in IPF. Therefore, the careful diagnosis and treatment of comorbidities may represent an outstanding chance to improve quality of life and survival, and it is necessary to contemplate all possible management options for IPF, including early identification and treatment of comorbidities.


2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 237-245 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin Hotter ◽  
Inken Padberg ◽  
Andrea Liebenau ◽  
Petra Knispel ◽  
Sabine Heel ◽  
...  

Introduction Detailed data on the long-term consequences and treatment of stroke are scarce. We aimed to assess the needs and disease burden of community-dwelling stroke patients and their carers and to compare their treatment to evidence-based guidelines by a stroke neurologist. Methods We invited long-term stroke patients from two previous acute clinical studies ( n = 516) in Berlin, Germany to participate in an observational, cross-sectional study. Participants underwent a comprehensive interview and examination using the Post-Stroke Checklist and validated standard measures of: self-reported needs, quality of life, overall outcome, spasticity, pain, aphasia, cognition, depression, secondary prevention, social needs and caregiver burden. Results Fifty-seven participants (median initial National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score 10 interquartile range 4–12.75) consented to assessment (median 41 months (interquartile range 36–50) after stroke. Modified Rankin Scale was 2 (median; interquartile range 1–3), EuroQoL index value was 0.81 (median; interquartile range 0.70–1.00). The frequencies for disabilities in the major domains were: spasticity 35%; cognition 61%; depression 20%; medication non-compliance 14%. Spasticity ( p = 0.008) and social needs ( p < 0.001) had the strongest impact on quality of life. The corresponding items in the Post-Stroke Checklist were predictive for low mood ( p < 0.001), impaired cognition ( p = 0.015), social needs ( p = 0.005) and caregiver burden ( p = 0.031). In the comprehensive interview, we identified the following needs: medical review (30%), optimization of pharmacotherapy (18%), outpatient therapy (47%) and social work input (33%). Conclusion These results suggest significant unmet needs and gaps in health and social care in long-term stroke patients. Further research to develop a comprehensive model for managing stroke aftercare is warranted. Clinical Trial Registration: clinicaltrials.gov NCT02320994.


2013 ◽  
Vol 70 (2) ◽  
pp. 195-199 ◽  
Author(s):  
Goran Nedovic ◽  
Dragan Marinkovic ◽  
Dragan Rapaic ◽  
Svetlana Berat ◽  
Ruzica Kozomara

Background/Aim. Although long-term survival of childhood cancer patients is significantly improved, prolonged treatment and hospitalization might have negative impacts on child development. The aim of this study was to verify profile of health-related quality of life parameters in population of schoolchildren during hospitalization and treatment for malignant disease. Methods. The Serbian version of Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory Version 4.0 (PedsQLTM4.0) Generic Core Scales was applied. A total of 120 schoolchildren were analyzed: 60 patients hospitalized for prolonged malignant disease treatment and 60 healthy schoolchildren from public schools. The study was done at the Institute for Oncology and Radiology of Serbia, as well as in four schools. Results. Generally, schoolchildren hospitalized for cancer treatment demonstrated lower scores on physical, emotional, social and school functioning when compared to healthy schoolchildren from regular public schools. Significant differences were observed for all the 8 items of the Physical Health Scale, in 2 out of 5 items of the Emotional Functioning Scale, in 4 out of 5 items of the Social Functioning Scale, and 3 out of 5 items of the School Functioning Scale. Conclusions. The Serbian version of PedsQLTM 4.0 Generic Core Scales could be successfully used to evaluate physical, emotional, social and school functioning of hospitalized children and adolescent. Schoolchildren hospitalized for prolonged tumor treatment have poorer HRQOL scores compared to general healthy population, however the level of remaining physical, emotional and social parameters should provide solid foundation for their potential rehabilitation, education and inclusion.


2016 ◽  
Vol 25 (8) ◽  
pp. 2053-2062 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. E. Andrew ◽  
M. F. Kilkenny ◽  
N. A. Lannin ◽  
D. A. Cadilhac

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