Can CBD found in Cannabis assist in stopping skin cancer?
Skin cancer is an extremely common form of cancer, with an estimated 5.4 million cases diagnosed each year. This figure is more than the cases of colon, breast, prostate, and lung cancer combined!
Skin cancer forms on the epidermis, which is the top layer of the skin. There are 3 kinds of cells in the epidermis: squamous cells, basal cells, and melanocytes. When a DNA mutation occurs, a mass of cancer cells can occur in any of these locations. Finding out where the skin cancer originated tells you what kind of skin cancer you have and what your treatment options are.
Exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun or lights in tanning beds is a common culprit for skin cancer. UV rays can cause significant damage to the DNA in your skin cells, enough damage to cause skin cancer after years of exposure. However, skin cancer can also develop on parts of your body that don’t receive exposure to sunlight.
This means that there are other factors that can put you at risk for developing skin cancer, such as having a weak immune system or exposure to carcinogenic toxins and chemicals.
Other risk factors for developing skin cancer include fair skin, having a history of sunburns, prolonged sun exposure, living in sunny climates, moles, exposure to radiation, family history of skin cancer, or contact with arsenic and other similar harmful substances.
Prognosis for skin cancer depends largely on early detection, and treatment options will depend on the kind and stage of cancer, tumor size, and overall health of the patient. If detected early, surgery may be effective in treating the cancer. For more extreme cases, chemotherapy or radiation may be required.
How Can Cannabis Help?
Being diagnosed with skin cancer is terrifying, as are all other kinds of cancers. But having access to cannabis can improve prognosis and help patients restore quality of their life. A study conducted by the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Public Health revealed that cannabinoids were effective reducing skin cancer by as much as 90% over a span of 20 weeks.
The researchers used synthetic cannabinoids, although we can easily say that using the real thing will be more potent and effective. They studied skin cancer on mice over a course of 20 weeks and discovered that when cannabinoids were administered to them, skin cancer was reduced dramatically and they also found that tumor growth was inhibited.
Another recent study published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology studied mice with melanoma cells. The mice were administered a combination of both THC and CBD. The European researchers discovered that the powerful combination of THC and CBD was effective in killing melanoma cells. The cannabinoids were beneficial for treating melanoma because of its ability to initiate two processes that cause cell death: apoptosis and autophagy.
But these studies shouldn’t come as a surprise with more people medicating with cannabis to treat themselves for skin cancer. One of the most famous cases is that of Rick Simpson, who was diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma, and applied a potent cannabis extract directly on his skin. To his surprise, it worked. His story became famous globally, and he now has his oil recipes up for everyone to access as well as useful information on cancer and other illnesses up on his website.
The story of Michael McShane has also brought to light the benefits of cannabis for skin cancer. He’s had 5 bouts of Squamous cell carcinoma, costing him millions of dollars despite undergoing radiation therapy as well as surgery. McShane has also been diagnosed with HIV prior to suffering from colon cancer before noticing several lumps on his face. He treated himself with the Simpson oil recipe and after three months, his doctors told him he was improving.
Aside from cannabis oil, transdermal patch also gives skin cancer patients high hopes for treatment. Transdermal patches are a good way to provide the skin with a steady dose of cannabis as well as a controlled release for the cannabinoids needed to act on the cancer