TY - JOUR
T1 - An international survey on the knowledge, attitudes and clinical patterns of use of medical cannabis for cancer care
T2 - The TASMAN study
AU - Trapani, Dario
AU - Nidhamalddin, Sara J
AU - Gandini, Sara
AU - Filetti, Marco
AU - Altuna, Sara C
AU - Carnevale Schianca, Ambra
AU - Petrillo, Angelica
AU - Murthy, Shilpa M
AU - Girardi, Fabio
AU - Bezuidenhout, Jacques B
AU - El Bairi, Khalid
AU - Lombardi, Pasquale
AU - Khan, Shah Z
AU - Lengyel, Csongor G
AU - Seeber, Andreas
AU - Hussain, Sadaqat
AU - Seid, Fahmi U
AU - Elfaham, Essam
AU - Odhiambo, Andrew O
AU - Coskun, Yakup
AU - Baker, Habeeb S
AU - Chowdhury, Arman R
AU - Genazzani, Armando
AU - Daniele, Gennaro
AU - Porzio, Giampiero
AU - Curigliano, Giuseppe
AU - Giusti, Raffaele
PY - 2025/1/17
Y1 - 2025/1/17
N2 - BACKGROUND: Medical cannabis (MC) has gained traction in oncology for managing cancer-related symptoms, but its integration faces challenges due to limited evidence, inconsistent guidelines, and varied legal frameworks. METHODS: The TASMAN study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of oncologists and palliative care providers globally regarding MC use in cancer care. A survey of healthcare providers from diverse regions and income levels was conducted. RESULTS: we study included 179 participants (response rate: 51.1 %), with an equal gender distribution (49.4 % female) and a median age of 37 years. Participants were primarily oncologists (71.5 %), practicing in university hospitals (40.2 %) or cancer centres (32.4 %), with over half from low- and middle-income countries. Most respondents (92.7 %) were unaware of clinical guidelines for MC. A proportion of 44.1 % were familiar with MC use, 78.8 % recognized its role in cancer pain, and 34 % identified its role in managing cachexia. Awareness of specific products was low, with only 10 % familiar with specific cannabis products. Three-quarters of respondents (84.4 %) did not prescribe MC routinely. Legal status and regulations were unclear for most participants; 40 % noted cannabis as illegal. MC use and patient requests were more common in high-income countries and the EURO region, with palliative care providers demonstrating the highest awareness and prescription rates. CONCLUSION: Clearer regulations, standardized guidelines, and targeted education are essential to support the safe integration of MC into oncology and palliative care, ultimately improving the quality of life for cancer patients.
AB - BACKGROUND: Medical cannabis (MC) has gained traction in oncology for managing cancer-related symptoms, but its integration faces challenges due to limited evidence, inconsistent guidelines, and varied legal frameworks. METHODS: The TASMAN study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of oncologists and palliative care providers globally regarding MC use in cancer care. A survey of healthcare providers from diverse regions and income levels was conducted. RESULTS: we study included 179 participants (response rate: 51.1 %), with an equal gender distribution (49.4 % female) and a median age of 37 years. Participants were primarily oncologists (71.5 %), practicing in university hospitals (40.2 %) or cancer centres (32.4 %), with over half from low- and middle-income countries. Most respondents (92.7 %) were unaware of clinical guidelines for MC. A proportion of 44.1 % were familiar with MC use, 78.8 % recognized its role in cancer pain, and 34 % identified its role in managing cachexia. Awareness of specific products was low, with only 10 % familiar with specific cannabis products. Three-quarters of respondents (84.4 %) did not prescribe MC routinely. Legal status and regulations were unclear for most participants; 40 % noted cannabis as illegal. MC use and patient requests were more common in high-income countries and the EURO region, with palliative care providers demonstrating the highest awareness and prescription rates. CONCLUSION: Clearer regulations, standardized guidelines, and targeted education are essential to support the safe integration of MC into oncology and palliative care, ultimately improving the quality of life for cancer patients.
KW - Cannabis
KW - Global oncology
KW - Legislative barriers
KW - Medical cannabis
KW - Palliative care
U2 - 10.1016/j.ejca.2024.115158
DO - 10.1016/j.ejca.2024.115158
M3 - Article
SN - 0959-8049
VL - 215
JO - European Journal of Cancer
JF - European Journal of Cancer
M1 - 115158
ER -