Pubdate: Fri, 01 Oct 2010
Source: Press Democrat, The (Santa Rosa, CA)
Copyright: 2010 The Press Democrat
Contact:  http://www.pressdemocrat.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/348
Author: Stacey M. Kerr
Note: Dr. Stacey Kerr, a longtime Sonoma County family physician, 
graduated from UC Davis Medical School and has been certified in her 
specialty by the American Board of Family Medicine. Her columns are 
not intended as a substitute for hand-on medical advice or treatment. 
Consult your health care provider before adhering to any 
recommendations in this column. E-mail comments to CHEMICAL IN POT PROVIDES SOME RELIEF

Naomi was three days out from her breast cancer chemotherapy 
treatment. She knew this was when side effects would begin to take 
over her life -- nausea, severe anxiety, intestinal cramping and 
diarrhea. As grateful as she was for the chemo, she dreaded these "lost days."

Naomi was skilled at choosing the best drugs to help her get through 
the hard times. She had plenty of prescriptions, and they did help 
somewhat, but this time she had agreed to try something new. She 
plugged in a small vaporizer that had been readied with a tiny bit of 
cannabis, and she slowly inhaled the resulting vapor. She was pleased 
that there was no irritating smoke to deal with, but that is not what 
brought tears of gratitude to her eyes. Within seconds of inhaling 
the vapor, her symptoms melted away. She had never experienced such 
rapid and complete relief, and although the effects did not last very 
long, she knew she had found good medicine.

Naomi had been given some "High CBD" cannabis. She has lived with 
metastatic breast cancer for more than four years and has avoided 
cannabis most of that time -- unwilling to tolerate the psychoactive 
side effects of marijuana. She did not like the feeling of being 
stoned. But cannabidiol (CBD) is a non-psychoactive cannabinoid, 
different from THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) in that it does not confer a high.

Cannabis has over 420 chemical compounds, including more than 80 
cannabinoids that are not found in any other plant. Only a few are 
psychoactive -- like THC -- and for years the plant has been bred for 
increasingly concentrated levels of THC. There are numerous medical 
benefits to THC, but the psychoactive side effects limit its use in 
many situations.

The discovery of the therapeutic qualities in CBD began more than 20 
years ago. In 1988, scientists first identified cannabinoid receptors 
in the human brain. Over the next 10 years, receptors would be 
discovered in the immune system, gut, liver, heart, kidneys, bones 
and blood vessels.

But the body only has receptors for naturally occurring internal 
substances, so scientists suspected there must be a THC-like compound 
occurring innately in the human body. In 1992, the first of these 
"endocannabinoids" was identified and the International Cannabinoid 
Research Society was formed.

Studies on cannabinoids are being done by reputable scientists in 
many countries, including Israel, Italy, Spain, the U.S. and Britain. 
These labs are uncovering therapeutic effects of previously unknown 
or ignored chemical compounds in cannabis -- chemicals like CBD, the 
substance Naomi found so helpful.

CBD-rich cannabis has exciting potential for breast cancer patients. 
Clinical studies show it to be safe, nontoxic and effective for many 
medical uses including chronic pain, anxiety and side effects of 
cancer treatments. But there is more to the CBD cannabinoid than 
symptom relief.

In the lab, CBD has a direct effect on cancer cells. Pre-clinical 
studies have shown it to reduce the aggressiveness of breast cancer 
cells. In addition, by affecting an active gene found only in 
metastatic cancer, CBD can also inhibit the progression of metastatic 
breast cancer.

Scientists believe that the Id-1 gene is one of the genes responsible 
for the metastatic spread of breast cancer. This gene is 
appropriately active when humans are developing embryos. Then it 
becomes silent, and it should stay silent. But in metastatic breast 
cancer, this gene wakes up and stimulates cancer cells to multiply 
and invade healthy tissue. If scientists could find a way to turn it 
off again, they could block the progress of metastatic breast cancer.

In 2007, a research lab at California Pacific Medical Center in San 
Francisco found CBD to be the first known nontoxic agent that can 
significantly inhibit the Id-1 gene.

Breast cancer, when localized, is treatable. It is only when it 
recurs and spreads throughout the body that it becomes deadly. The 
development of new treatments to prevent and treat metastatic breast 
cancer is essential to finding a cure, and the cannabinoid CBD may be 
a valuable tool in this quest.

Some medical marijuana dispensaries in California are beginning to 
test and label the relative percentages of THC and CBD in their 
products. CBD-rich strains are becoming available in some of these 
more reputable dispensaries. Outside the US, a mouth spray developed 
by GW Pharmaceuticals, made of whole plant extracts, is obtainable. 
Available by prescription in over 22 countries, Sativex contains 
equal parts THC and CBD. The CBD balances out some of the 
psychoactive effects of THC, making Sativex more palatable to the 
general public.

Medical cannabis can be good medicine for patients going through 
breast cancer therapy, but many -- like Naomi -- are uncomfortable 
with the unwanted side effects. High-CBD strains of cannabis hold 
promise for providing relief and possible tumor suppression, without toxicity.
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MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart