A NEW study has explored the potential of cannabidiol (CBD) to alleviate scan-related anxiety in women with advanced breast cancer. The phase II, double-masked, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial examined whether a single oral dose of 400 mg CBD could reduce anxiety before tumour burden assessments.
Conducted at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute’s Breast Oncology Center, the study enrolled 50 women with advanced breast cancer and clinically significant anxiety. Participants were randomized into two groups, with one receiving CBD and the other a placebo, both administered within 48 hours before a scan. Anxiety levels were measured using the Visual Analog Mood Scale (VAMS), both before and two to four hours after taking the study drug.
The study’s primary endpoint, a comparison of pre- and post-ingestion anxiety change scores between the two groups, did not reach statistical significance. However, a secondary analysis found that women who received CBD experienced significantly lower anxiety levels two to four hours after ingestion compared to those given a placebo (mean VAMS afraid T-score: 51.5 vs. 58.0, P = 0.02). Importantly, no serious adverse effects (grade 3 or 4 toxicities) were reported, confirming the safety of CBD in this patient population.
While the results did not fully establish CBD as a definitive anxiolytic treatment in this setting, the findings suggest that CBD could offer benefits for anxiety management in women undergoing stressful cancer-related scans. The authors call for further investigation to better understand CBD’s potential role in oncology-related anxiety treatment.
Aleksandra Zurowska, EMJ
Reference
Nayak MM et al. Cannabidiol for Scan-Related Anxiety in Women With Advanced Breast Cancer: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Netw Open. 2024;7(12):e2450391.
