CBD May Be Beneficial for Cancer Patients

When you or a loved one is diagnosed with cancer, it can be an overwhelming experience. Due to the cancer itself and the side effects of cancer treatment, patients often share common physical changes such as weight loss, hair loss, changes in how things taste or smell, nausea and vomiting, problems with sleep, fatigue and a host of other side effects. Coping with these side effects, and the possible emotional aspects of facing months or even years of treatment and uncertainty about future health takes it toll on patients, their family and friends. Finding a cure or even palliative relief can be a blessing to all. Thankfully researchers understand the complexity and urgency of the situation and are exploring many different options including cannabinoids (CBD) to determine their use in caring for patients with cancer.

Hemp and Cancer
In August of 2018, an article in the U.S. News and World Report appeared which was entitled “What’s the Evidence That Hemp Could Be Useful in Treating Cancer?” The article discussed recent research led by Wasana Sumanasekera, associate professor of pharmaceutical sciences at Sullivan University College of Pharmacy in Louisville, Kentucky. Her research suggested that hemp might be useful in treating cancer.

“In two studies presented at the 2018 Experimental Biology meeting in San Diego this past April, Sumanasekera and her students showed that hemp may actually combat ovarian cancer. In one study, hemp-derived cannabidiol, a compound found in the plant, reduced the ability of cultured ovarian cancer cells (in the lab, not an animal) to migrate or metastasize. The other study showed the molecule had a protective effect against an inflammatory process that has been implicated in the development of ovarian cancer. The hope is that with further studies, these two aspects of hemp could be heightened and standardized so that novel therapeutic agents can be developed.”

Hemp, known as industrial hemp, is a variety of the Cannabis stavia plant species. Hemp is not the same as marijuana, they are just both part of the Cannabis family.

What’s the Difference Between Hemp and Marijuana
Hemp is utterly different from marijuana in its cultivation, function and application; however, United States political leaders misunderstood the differentiation and grouped all Cannabis species as a Schedule I Drug. It has been banned since 1970 under the Controlled Substances Act. Even after 48 years, the government still seems to have some confusion in distinguishing the two plants. Although legislation is being made, progress has been slow.
Hemp and marijuana serve completely different purposes. Marijuana’s use is widely known for being medicinal or recreational purposes in order for users to obtain a high. Hemp, on the other hand, not only has very low THC, the psychoactive components that cause a high, additionally, it is used in variety of other applications that marijuana cannot be used. These include healthy dietary supplements, skin products, clothing, accessories and now its being reviewed in clinical trials for the use in the management of cancer, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, anxiety disorders, and pain disorders such as fibromyalgia. Overall, hemp is known to have over 25,000 possible applications.

Proprietary cannabinoid research along with extensive libraries of formulas, and discoveries of novel cannabinoid pharmacology are going through the rigors of clinical trials at present.

Why Researchers and Others Are Interested in CBD
Researchers are actively conducting clinical trials, more than 200 of them in the United States alone involving CBD.

According to theinvestive.com, “one of the advantages of cannabinoids is that they target, specifically, the tumor cells. They don’t have any toxic effect on normal non-tumor cells.”

A few of the types of cancers that CDB is currently being studied in clinical trials, in hopes that it may be used in the future as an integral part of the care of cancer patients, are found below:

• Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBD) – Tumors that occur in the brain without a known origin are called gliomas. The most malignant forms are glioblastomas, also known as glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). This aggressive, infiltrative type of cancer can strike in the brain or spinal cord. It is is one of the most common forms of brain cancer, affecting approximately 10,000 patients each year — about half of those patients will die within 15 months of diagnosis.

• Multiple Myeloma – Multiple myeloma forms in white blood called plasma cells, which help you fight infections. It causes cancer cells to accumulate in the bone marrow, where they crowd out healthy blood cells. For people with multiple myeloma who require treatment, a number of treatments are available to help control the disease.

• Pancreatic Cancer – The pancreas secretes enzymes that aid digestion and hormones that help regulate the metabolism of sugars. Pancreatic cancer is often detected late because there are no symptoms. It spreads rapidly, and has a poor prognosis. Treatment may include surgically removing the pancreas, radiation, and chemotherapy.

• Rectal Cancer – Rectal cancer arises from the lining of the rectum, the last six inches of the large intestine. It is the third most common cancer in both men and women. About 5% of Americans will develop colorectal cancer during their lifetimes. Colorectal cancer is highly curable if detected in the early stages.

• Colon Cancer – Patients with colon cancer commonly experience symptoms such as: changes in bowel habits, changes in stool consistency, blood in the stool, and abdominal discomfort. Common treatments include surgery to remove the cancer, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy.

• Squamous Cell Carcinoma – A common form of skin cancer is squamous cell carcinoma. Developing in the squamous cells that make up the middle and outer layer of the skin, while not usually life threatening, it can be aggressive in some cases. Untreated, it can grow large, spread to other parts of the body and cause complications.

• Basal Cell Carcinoma – Basal cell carcinoma is a type of skin cancer that begins in the basal cells. As old skin cells die off, basal cells produce new skin cells. Often appearing as a slightly transparent bump on the skin, basal cell carcinoma occurs most often on areas of the skin that are exposed to the sun, such as your head and neck.

For more information about current clinical trials, visit ClinicalTrials.gov. This web-based resource provides patients, their family members, heath care professionals, researchers, and the public with easy access to information on publicly and privately supported clinical studies on a wide range of diseases and conditions. For specific information about CBD clinical trials in the use, visit: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/results?cond=cancer&term=cbd&cntry=US&state=&city=&dist=&Search=Search.

About Diverse Biotech, Inc.
Diverse Biotech Inc. is an innovative, clinical-stage biopharmaceutical research company, committed to discovering and developing novel therapeutics from its proprietary cannabinoid product platform.

For more information on Diverse Biotech or its Cannabinoid (CBD) clinical trials, use in specific types of malignancies related to glioblastoma, myeloma, gastrointestinal, and breast cancer, when administered in conjunction with Standard of Care, please contact Diverse Biotech by phone at 407-776-9217 or visit the company’s headquarters at 805 S. Kirkman Rd, Suite 202, Orlando, Florida 32811.