Marijuana prevents breast cancer metastasis?

I have tried using a Volcano Vaporizer  and it is fantastic- it heats the herb just enough to form a vapor without combustion - much much better on the lungs- but they are not cheap- 500 bucks. We just borrowed one from a friend to try it. I smoked during chemo- it helped me a lot.

WAnted to share this article I found re MMJ:

THC Gives Cancer Cells the Munchies Too

Category: basic science • biology • cancer • drugs • marijuana • medicine
Posted on: April 2, 2009 6:12 AM, by Nick Anthis

Through the results of widespread experimentation of the... well... let's say "non-scientific" variety, it's pretty well known that marijuana has the side effect of making the user very hungry. This is one of the many physiological effects of the active ingredient THC (Δ⁹-tetrahydrocannabinol). More relevantly, however, THC and other cannabinoids are actively being investigated for various useful clinical purposes, including the treatment of cancer through the inhibition of tumor growth.

A new study by Salazar et al. in The Journal of Clinical Investigation demonstrates that THC causes tumor cells to begin to degrade themselves from the inside (a process called autophagy, i.e. "self-eating"). Although autophagy has been shown to promote cell survival in some cases and cell death in others, the authors show that in this case it causes cancer cells to undergo programmed cell death (apoptosis). Thus, THC activates a series of events within cancer cells, inhibiting tumor growth.

Despite the imagery that the title of this post (and maybe even casual experience) may imply, it's not that THC causes cancer cells to ravenously and indiscriminately destroy themselves. Rather, by binding to certain cell-surface receptors, THC activates a cell signaling pathway that leads to cell death. This is a very orderly process, with autophagy just contributing one important step. The authors of this paper work out many of the molecular players in this process, using siRNA and cells derived from knockout mice, although I'll leave it to the interested reader to further explore that aspect by reading the paper if so inclined.

Mostly, this is interesting (to me) more for the big picture aspect and the implications for clinical medicine. And, of course, for the post title it inspired.

I was offered a rec letter for MMJ by an oncology group, and accepted it a year ago after dx. I've used it with cussess,a dn since I don't smoke, use tincuttres and edibles. I steer away from sugar, so found some great "goo" that is very clean and helps relax, sleep, enjoy life. All the best!

I've TOTALLY enjoyed reading this thread.  I have ongoing nausea from Femara and am wondering if it would help with that?????  I'm printing out the article to take to my oncologist.  Thanks for the info!

Granny, I second Matty ... what state do you live in? 

I have been using cannabis for 18 months now to manage all the after effects of my bilateral and reconstruction.  Can I just say cannabis salve is the BEST thing for the achy soreness in my armpits, ribs, and foobs at the end of 12 hours of chasing a three year old grandduaghter. 

I am an active member in my local medical cannabis community (medical marijuana is legal in my state, Oregon, as it is in 14 states now.  I help my patients learn to make their own butters, salves, tinctures, etc out of Cannabis to manage the after effects of cancer, ms, chrons, etc.   I will try to help you in any way I can.  You can also look up these organizations in your state as a place to start:  NORML.org (National Organization to Reform Marijuana Laws), THCF.com (The Hemp and Cannabis Foundation), and ASA.com (Americans for Safe Access). 

Well this I do know something about.  Marijuana was criminalized based largley on faulty scientific studies (like failing to mention the joints were dipped in acid!)  It was also not in the interests of many wealthy Americans (like Hearst Corporation who owned paper company) for hemp to stay legal because hemp was a better, stronger, cheaper plant to grow.  This is why older Americans have such a negative view of marijuana - look up "Reefer Madness" on Youtube.  It is quite hilarious what Americans were led to believe about stoners.  Marijuana affects people differently.  While some may conk out in front of the t.v. for hours others will clean the whole house without resting.  If it was true that Marijuana was a gateway drug the State of California would be over-run with drug addicts.  Sure we do have a drug problem like all other states but it is just not true that all pot smokers will go on to do harder drugs.  Sure many drug addicts started with pot but did all shoplifters go on to have felonies?  No, though most people with felonies shoplifted before they went on to heavier crimes.  My point is marijuana does legitimately help some medical conditions and if they are learning that it may stop cancer from spreading then we should support the much needed science.  If medicinal marijuana is on the table and it works as good as or better than laboratory-prepared drugs I sure as heck know which one I'm choosing. I know the drug companies wouldn't be too thrilled because marijuana is relatively cheap to grow and they have spent millions in researching their drugs.   Thankfully I live in a state which allows medicinal marijuana, though I have not pursued that route.  But I feel strongly about it being available to any patient around the country who needs it without being made to feel a criminal.  My generation was raised by the generation that thought pot made you a lunatic murderer.  I know, from personal experience and from working in criminal law for over 20 years, that (in moderation) marijuana is less harmful than alcohol.      So if you need it and it helps you thank God for the herbal remedy.  Hopefully in the next 20 years it will not have the stigma it does now.

buckshye,

this is a pretty old thread and hasn't been active in a year (and two years before that). There are at least one or two active threads on the topic. Here's one:

https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/121/topic...

wow this is a old thread

I don't even live in NJ. Anymore 

I'm smokin it a long time...it helps all my stomach issues..

And no it's not legal in PA either

I smoke it

I have been a daily pot smoker for about 5 years. I was dx'd in 2013 with lcis and then ilc this past summer, so I don't know about pot stopping the growth of tumors or preventing mets but I DO KNOW it definetly helps with nasuau. I didn't have to have chemo, thankfully, but I am always nauseous and it does help with headaches and some chronic pain. So I am a HUGE advocate of pot..toking as I type Massachusetts legalized it for medical purposes about 2 years ago but we are JUST get dispensaries and it costs about $200 for an appointment to get a license for it and then you would still have to buy the pot because insurance would never pay for it. It's probably cheaper than buying it the way I do now tho.

Although...I would love to stop smoking and maybe try vapor, but $500 is definetly not in my budget

I understand there is a specific strain of cannabis to make oil from that has proven cáncer destroying properties, anyone know what it is?

Lvin, I read a lot about MJ at one point and also listened to a long interview with Rick Simpson about his personal experience, the experience that led him to believe in the oil as a cancer cure. I had to conclude that he didn't know what he was talking about and that nothing in his story could be construed as evidence that the oil works the way he claims it does.

HOWEVER, there is some tantalizing sporadic evidence that there may well be some cancer-fighting properties in cannabis, so since it definitely does help with aches and nausea, as well as provides a xanax-like effect without the downside of xanax, I would go for it if I were in your shoes.

Here's a link to another thread on marijuana: https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/73/topics/840463?page=2#idx_34

living in AZ I got my dr to write a script and applied

d for a med card today. I have read about the cbd oil and that is what I will try. Crossing fingers it helps. Smoking it definitely helps my body feel better and my nausea is eliminated. It can't be worse for you right? So I'm giving it a try. I am going to let my dr know when i get the oil and at my next scan in April see if there is a marked difference. Fingers crossed!!

i am confused. Do we want THC and canninoids or just cannabinoids. I read different things.

I've been reading articles about MJ, and I found this one interesting and it makes sense to me. If you are going to get it, make sure you get a strain or a ratio that works for your particular type of cancer.

http://www.cannabiscure.info/files/breast_cancer.h...

Interesting