Medical Cannabis for Pancreatic Cancer

(CanPan-C Trial)

Overseen By Alissa Gavenda, RN

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Phase 2

Sponsor: HealthPartners Institute

Must not be taking: Immunotherapy, Non-standard chemotherapy

Disqualifiers: Alzheimer's, Epilepsy, Brain injury, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Prior Safety Data This treatment has passed at least one previous human trial

Approved in 4 Jurisdictions This treatment is already approved in other countries

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 8

Duration: 8 weeks

64 Participants Needed

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial tests whether medical cannabis can help manage challenging symptoms in patients with advanced pancreatic and colorectal cancer. The goal is to determine if cannabis can alleviate issues like nausea, vomiting, and pain, which often burden these patients. Participants will begin cannabis treatment either early or after a delay to assess how timing affects symptom relief. This trial may suit Minnesota residents with advanced pancreatic or colorectal cancer who are currently undergoing standard chemotherapy and have recently experienced symptoms like nausea or pain. As a Phase 2 trial, this research focuses on measuring the treatment's effectiveness in an initial, smaller group, offering a chance to contribute to important findings.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial protocol does not specify if you need to stop taking your current medications. However, you must not be using THC products regularly and cannot be on immunotherapy or non-standard chemotherapy.

Is there any evidence suggesting that medical cannabis is likely to be safe for humans?

Research has shown that medical cannabis offers potential benefits for cancer patients. Studies have found that it may relieve pain and increase appetite, which can be particularly helpful for those with pancreatic cancer who often face these challenges.

Although strong evidence does not yet support cannabis as a cancer cure, a study reviewing multiple other studies found that medical cannabis is generally well-tolerated. Patients reported improvements in their health and cancer treatment experiences.

This trial is in the early stages (Phase 2), indicating that while some evidence of safety exists, further research is needed. However, existing studies suggest that medical cannabis is usually safe, with generally manageable side effects. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why do researchers think this study treatment might be promising?

Medical cannabis is unique because it offers a potential new way to manage pancreatic cancer symptoms and side effects. Most treatments for pancreatic cancer, like chemotherapy and radiation, focus on attacking cancer cells directly. In contrast, cannabis engages the body's endocannabinoid system, which might help alleviate pain, nausea, and improve appetite, all common issues in pancreatic cancer patients. Researchers are excited about the possibility of enhancing quality of life using a more natural approach, with fewer side effects than traditional therapies. Additionally, the early and delayed cannabis administration arms might provide insights into optimal timing for symptom relief.

What evidence suggests that medical cannabis might be an effective treatment for pancreatic cancer?

Research has shown that medical cannabis can help manage symptoms in cancer patients. Studies indicate that 70%–90% of patients using cannabis for cancer symptoms experience relief, including reduced swelling, increased appetite, and decreased nausea. Lab studies have found that cannabinoids, the active ingredients in cannabis, can slow the growth of pancreatic cancer cells. In this trial, participants will join either an "Early Cannabis" or "Delayed Cannabis" treatment arm to evaluate the timing of cannabis administration. Overall, these findings suggest that medical cannabis might improve the quality of life for those with advanced pancreatic cancer by reducing symptoms. ^{1 3 4 6 7}

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for patients with advanced pancreatic cancer who experience significant symptoms from their disease. Participants should have a diagnosis of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma and be experiencing a high symptom burden that affects their quality of life.

Inclusion Criteria

Must be a resident of Minnesota

Must be willing to be registered in the Minnesota Medical Cannabis Program and follow all rules and requirements of the state program

My pancreatic cancer is advanced and surgery isn't planned within 4 months.

Exclusion Criteria

Patients with a history of intolerance or hypersensitivity to cannabis (i.e., cannabis hyperemesis)

Patients with Alzheimer's dementia, epilepsy, or history of traumatic brain injury

Uncontrolled acute or chronic medical conditions, psychiatric conditions or laboratory abnormality that may increase the risk associated with study participation or investigational product administration or may interfere with the interpretation of study results and, in the judgment of the investigator, would make the subject inappropriate for enrollment in this study

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Treatment

Participants in the early group receive medical cannabis immediately, while the delayed group abstains for the first 8 weeks

8 weeks

Weekly PRO assessments, QOL every 4 weeks

Extended Treatment

Early group continues cannabis for another 8 weeks; delayed group starts cannabis

8 weeks

PRO/QOL every 4 weeks

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for safety and effectiveness after treatment

4 weeks

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Medical Cannabis

Trial Overview The study is testing the effectiveness of medical cannabis in reducing the symptom burden for patients with advanced pancreatic cancer. It aims to see if cannabis can improve quality of life, enhance tolerance to cancer treatments, and potentially impact survival.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Early Cannabis Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Group II: Delayed Cannabis Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Medical Cannabis is already approved in United States, European Union, Canada for the following indications:

Approved in United States as Medical Cannabis for:

• Severe and chronic pain
• Multiple sclerosis and muscle spasms
• Severe nausea and vomiting caused by cancer treatment
• Epilepsy and seizures
• Alzheimer's disease
• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
• HIV/AIDS
• Crohn's disease
• Glaucoma
• Migraine
• Anorexia
• Extreme weight loss and weakness (wasting syndrome)
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Post-traumatic stress disorder

Approved in European Union as Cannabis-based medicinal products for:

• Severe epilepsy
• Multiple sclerosis
• Nausea and vomiting caused by cancer treatment

Approved in Canada as Medical Cannabis for:

• Severe pain
• Nausea and vomiting caused by cancer treatment
• Muscle spasms caused by multiple sclerosis
• Seizures caused by epilepsy

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

HealthPartners Institute

Lead Sponsor

Trials

196

Recruited

3,721,000+

University of Minnesota

Collaborator

Trials

1,459

Recruited

1,623,000+

Published Research Related to This Trial

FBL-03G, a non-cannabinoid derivative of cannabis, significantly increased apoptosis and decreased survival in pancreatic cancer cells in vitro, suggesting its potential as a treatment option.

In animal models, FBL-03G demonstrated therapeutic efficacy by delaying tumor progression and significantly increasing survival rates compared to control groups, highlighting its promise for treating pancreatic cancer.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Flavonoid Derivative of Cannabis Demonstrates Therapeutic Potential in Preclinical Models of Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer. Moreau, M., Ibeh, U., Decosmo, K., et al.[2020]

Cannabis has potential benefits for cancer patients, particularly in managing symptoms like nausea, pain, and appetite loss, and may be the only effective treatment for some individuals.

Emerging evidence suggests that cannabinoids may have direct anticancer effects through mechanisms like promoting cell death and inhibiting tumor growth, although more human studies are needed to confirm these effects.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Integrating cannabis into clinical cancer care. Abrams, DI.[2018]

Cannabis has shown potential benefits as an adjunctive treatment for chemotherapy-induced nausea, vomiting, and cancer-related pain, but its use should be carefully assessed by physicians due to the need for more reliable scientific data and guidelines.

Current evidence does not support the use of cannabis as a primary treatment for cancer; its effects on conditions like anorexia, insomnia, and anxiety are promising but not yet substantial enough to warrant initial treatment.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Medical Cannabis in Oncology: a Valuable Unappreciated Remedy or an Undesirable Risk? Abu-Amna, M., Salti, T., Khoury, M., et al.[2022]

A review of 25 articles involving 45 patients revealed that cannabis-induced acute pancreatitis predominantly affects young males, with a mean age of 29.2 years, and the most common symptoms include abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting.

Despite the majority of patients showing mild pancreatitis on ultrasound, the overall prognosis is good, with most patients achieving full recovery, highlighting the importance of considering cannabis use in diagnosing acute pancreatitis for timely treatment.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Acute pancreatitis as a rare adverse event among cannabis users: A systematic review. Jaiswal, V., Mukherjee, D., Batra, N., et al.[2023]

Cannabinoids may help improve symptoms in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), but they do not appear to have a significant anti-inflammatory effect, as shown by observational studies and small clinical trials.

There is a lack of evidence linking cannabis use to acute pancreatitis, but cannabis hyperemesis syndrome (CHS) remains a concern, with complete abstinence from cannabinoids being the recommended treatment strategy.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Cannabis in Gastroenterology: Watch Your Head! A Review of Use in Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Functional Gut Disorders, and Gut-Related Adverse Effects. Nasser, Y., Woo, M., Andrews, CN.[2022]

Cannabis use appears to reduce the incidence of acute and chronic pancreatitis in individuals who also abuse alcohol, with adjusted odds ratios indicating a significant protective effect (aOR: 0.50 for acute pancreatitis and aOR: 0.77 for chronic pancreatitis).

In contrast, cannabis use does not affect the incidence of pancreatitis in patients with gallstones and is associated with an increased incidence of chronic pancreatitis among non-alcohol-non-gallstones users (aOR: 1.28), suggesting that the effects of cannabis on pancreatitis may vary based on the underlying cause.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Reduced Risk of Alcohol-Induced Pancreatitis With Cannabis Use. Adejumo, AC., Akanbi, O., Adejumo, KL., et al.[2020]

In a study of 24 cancer patients using medical cannabis (MC), most received their MC certifications from new professionals after brief consultations, leading to minimal medical oversight in their cannabis use.

Patients often relied on personal experimentation and nonmedical sources for information about MC, expressing a strong desire for better guidance from their established medical teams regarding its use for symptom management and cancer treatment.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Cancer patients' experiences with medicinal cannabis-related care. Braun, IM., Nayak, MM., Revette, A., et al.[2023]

Only 8% of cancer survivors reported using cannabis in the past year, compared to 15% of individuals without a cancer history, indicating lower prevalence among cancer survivors.

Pain levels were a significant predictor of cannabis use in both groups, suggesting that those with higher pain are more likely to use cannabis, regardless of cancer history.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Cannabis use among cancer survivors in the United States: Analysis of a nationally representative sample. Do, EK., Ksinan, AJ., Kim, SJ., et al.[2022]

In a survey of 523 cancer patients, 54% reported using cannabis since their diagnosis, with 42% using it during active treatment, primarily for managing sleep disturbances, pain, and mood issues.

Patients experiencing moderate pain were over twice as likely to use cannabis, indicating its potential role in pain management for cancer survivors, while mood and general health did not significantly influence cannabis use.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Cannabis use is associated with pain severity and interference among cancer survivors. Nugent, SM., Latour, E., Lim, J., et al.[2023]

Cannabinoids, particularly cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), have shown promising anticancer properties in pancreatic cancer through in vitro studies, demonstrating tumor growth inhibition and pro-apoptotic effects via cannabinoid receptors.

While there is potential for cannabinoids to enhance cancer treatment, especially when combined with chemotherapy, there are currently no clinical studies confirming their effectiveness in patients with pancreatic cancer, highlighting a need for further research.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Potential Use of Cannabinoids for the Treatment of Pancreatic Cancer. Sharafi, G., He, H., Nikfarjam, M.[2020]

In a study of 2991 patients over three years, only 3.6% experienced moderate or severe adverse events (AEs) after starting medical cannabis, indicating a relatively low incidence of serious side effects in real-world use.

Common mild AEs included dizziness, nausea, and somnolence, with variations depending on the method of consumption and cannabinoid content, suggesting that healthcare providers should consider these factors when prescribing medical cannabis.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A Descriptive Analysis of Adverse Event Reports from the Quebec Cannabis Registry. Hachem, Y., Moride, Y., Castilloux, AM., et al.[2023]

There is inconsistent evidence linking cannabis smoking to cancers of the respiratory system, with some case reports in young adults but no strong epidemiological support.

While THC and cannabinoids may help alleviate cancer symptoms like nausea and pain, there is currently no evidence of their anticancer effects in humans, highlighting the need for safe medical use without psychoactive side effects.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Cannabinoids and cancer: causation, remediation, and palliation. Hall, W., Christie, M., Currow, D.[2022]

Cannabinoid therapies, including pharmaceuticals and botanical forms, are versatile treatment options for patients with malignant diseases, effectively addressing symptoms like pain, chemotherapy-induced nausea, and anorexia.

These therapies not only improve quality of life for cancer patients but may also enhance adherence to conventional treatments like chemotherapy and radiation, potentially modifying the disease's progression.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A user's guide to cannabinoid therapies in oncology. Maida, V., Daeninck, PJ.[2019]

Cannabis is widely used in the US, with at least 18% of the population using it, primarily for recreational purposes, but it also has therapeutic applications for conditions like pain management and inflammation.

Despite its benefits, cannabis use is linked to several gastrointestinal disorders, including gastroesophageal reflux disease, pancreatitis, and peptic ulcer disease, highlighting the need for awareness of its potential adverse effects.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Cannabis Use and Associated Gastrointestinal Disorders: A Literature Review. Adenusi, AO., Magacha, HM., Nwaneki, CM., et al.[2023]

Citations

1. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6352507/

Potential Use of Cannabinoids for the Treatment of Pancreatic ... Conclusions: Cannabinoids may be an effective adjunct for the treatment of pancreatic cancer. Data on the anticancer effectiveness of various ...

2. frontiersin.org frontiersin.org/journals/oncology/articles/10.3389/fonc.2025.1490621/full

Meta-analysis of medical cannabis outcomes and ... Patient-reported outcome measures indicate that 70%–90% of patients who used cannabis to directly treat cancer symptoms reported improvements, ...

3. clinicaltrials.gov clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06605430

Medical Cannabis in Patients With Advanced Pancreatic ... In this research study, we are examining the usefulness of using medical cannabis in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer and colorectal cancer to further ...

4. theguardian.com theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/18/medical-cannabis-cancer-study

Medical cannabis shows potential to fight cancer, largest ... The study overwhelmingly supported cannabis as a treatment for cancer-related inflammation, appetite loss and nausea.

5. pancare.org.au pancare.org.au/research_programs/improving-the-treatment-of-pancreatic-cancer-by-novel-treatment-therapies/?srsltid=AfmBOopzTYEZC4vUfmgGiQX7fwq57Qmkf5jfxBY3B82_jL_hQXxqcJ13

Role of Cannabinoids in Pancreatic Cancer Both THC and CBD inhibited pancreatic cancer cells growth in vitro and in vivo through different mechanisms. THC suppressed pancreatic cancer growth via ...

6. pancan.org pancan.org/news/marijuana-and-pancreatic-cancer-5-things-to-know/

Marijuana and Pancreatic Cancer: 5 Things to Know Cancer patients have reported finding pain relief and appetite stimulation from the use of medical marijuana, also known as cannabis.

7. news.cancerresearchuk.org news.cancerresearchuk.org/2022/05/13/cannabis-cannabinoids-and-cancer-the-evidence-so-far/

Cannabis, cannabinoids and cancer – the evidence so far Right now there isn't enough reliable evidence to prove that any form of cannabis can effectively treat cancer in patients.