UK Medical Cannabis Registry palliative care patients cohort: initial experience and outcomes

• Published in: Journal of cannabis research 2022-01, Vol.4 (1), p.3-3, Article 3
• Main Authors: Nimalan, Devaki, Kawka, Michal, Erridge, Simon, Ergisi, Mehmet, Harris, Michael, Salazar, Oliver, Ali, Rayyan, Loupasaki, Katerina, Holvey, Carl, Coomber, Ross, Platt, Michael, Rucker, James J, Khan, Shaheen, Sodergren, Mikael H
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Cannabinoids; Health-related quality-of-life; Letter to the Editor; Medical cannabis; Palliative care
• ISSN: 2522-5782; 2522-5782
• DOI: 10.1186/s42238-021-00114-9

Palliative care aims to improve quality of life through optimal symptom control and pain management. Cannabis-based medicinal products (CBMPs) have a proven role in the treatment of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. However, there is a paucity of high-quality evidence with regards to the optimal therapeutic regimen, safety, and effectiveness of CBMPs in palliative care, as existing clinical trials are limited by methodological heterogeneity. The aim of this study is to summarise the outcomes of the initial subgroup of patients from the UK Medical Cannabis Registry who were prescribed CBMPs for a primary indication of palliative care, cancer pain and chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, including effects on health-related quality of life and clinical safety. A case series from the UK Medical Cannabis Registry of patients, who were receiving CBMPs for the indication of palliative care was undertaken. The primary outcome consisted of changes in patient-reported outcome measures including EQ-5D-5L, General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), Single-Item Sleep Quality Scale (SQS), Pain Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and the Australia-Modified Karnofsky Performance Scale at 1 and 3 months compared to baseline. Secondary outcomes included the incidence and characteristics of adverse events. Statistical significance was defined by p-value