13 ms·

Marijuana accelerates growth of HPV-related head and neck cancer (2020)

169 points by xyzwave 5y ago

rdevsrex 5y ago
So, if HPV is a sexually transmitted disease, and you are in a monogamous relationship, and you and your partner don't have it, what's to worry about here?
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
- stickfigure 5y ago
  How do you know? HPV is transmitted by skin to skin contact. Have you ever had a wart on your skin, anywhere? HPV is incredibly common, contagious, and causes no noticeable effects in the overwhelming majority of cases. If you've had sex with more than one person, or the person you've had sex with has had sex with more than one, you've probably been exposed to one or more strains.
  - robbiep 5y ago
    You’re making two points there. The response to the first is that the vast majority of cancer causing strains of HPV produce no noticeable warts. The second is yep, it’s common as hell - at least in older generations, post widespread availability of gardisil
  - dreamcompiler 5y ago
    Furthermore condoms are ineffective at stopping HPV transmission, even though they are very effective against HIV. This is why almost every adult carries HPV (or did until a few years ago when the vaccines rolled out).
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
- friedturkey 5y ago
  Apparently about 80% of sexually active people have some form of HPV. Even when people think they don't have it, it's quite probable they do. Statistically speaking, more than a couple people in these comments have some form of it.
  - derefr 5y ago
    Even for the generations now who grew up with freely-available (but sadly not "matter-of-course") HPV vaccination?
    - yellow_lead 5y ago
      Can't answer your question but AFAIK the vaccination only covers something like 6 strains of HPV and there are many more.
      - gumby 5y ago
        There is a 9-valent vaccine for HPV but I don’t know if it is approved in the US. It’s a shame that the vaccine isn’t approved for older people as it appears to suppress a variety of viral cancers beyond HPV specifically.
    - s5300 5y ago
      Probably. Google is telling me you can receive the vaccine as early as 9, but it’s typically recommended/given at 11-12. If that’s correct, HPV is something as simple as foot/hand warts that can often be spread in things like gym locker rooms. A fair amount of people are exposed to those environments around or before that age, & sometimes it’s spread by something as simple as your shared home bathtub/shower.
- sitharus 5y ago
  It’s extremely widespread and in general there aren’t any tests for it. Fortunately there’s a vaccine now.
- astura 5y ago
  Can you be sure you've never been exposed to HPV? HPV is extremely common, most HPV infections are asymptomatic, and HPV can lie dormant in the body for years. Rather than "worry," there are a few actionable items - 1) Get your HPV vaccine and encourage others to get theirs 2) Get regular cervical cancer screenings ("pap test") if you have a cervix 3) See a medical professional if you have any symptoms
- Broken_Hippo 5y ago
  Monogomous doesn't mean anything in this context. It is possible to get it from non-sexual encounters - we've confirmed cases in virgins, after all [1] and if anyone has ever had other partners, they (or you!) have even more chance to have it as skin to skin contact will spread it (in other words, that condom won't stop it). Most people have had HPV at least once in their life. A lot of strains simply have no symptoms whatsoever, so folks don't even know they had it. Many cases simply clear up on their own after producing no symptoms. Some do cause warts and some hang around and cause cancer later in life, though. [1]https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33101476/#:~:text=The%20horizontal%20transfer%20of%20HPV,personal%20history%20of%20sexual%20abuse https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33101476/#:~:text=The%20hori....
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
xqcgrek2 5y ago
Cannabis seems like it isn't all its hyped up to be -- and the $MJ cannabis ETF is down 70% since its 2019 peak.
- 7thaccount 5y ago
  PBS Nova did a great documentary on Medical Cannabis recently. The researcher they interviewed said that "people seem to think it's either the greatest thing in the universe that cures all ailments or it's the devil's grass. The truth is probably somewhere in the middle". It can do great things like alleviate seizures in children, but they showed it has issues as well. One example was that those who smoke small amounts to help with PTSD will eventually become desensitized and have to increase their dosage and at higher doses, it could make the patient worse off.
  - bryans 5y ago
    It was extremely disappointing that NOVA completely failed to mention Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome, and they also falsely claimed that there have been 0 marijuana-related deaths. They really didn't do their research for that episode.
    - monetus 5y ago
      Who died?
      - bryans 5y ago
        https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29768651/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29768651/ https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/09/20/indiana-boy-17-died-smoking-weed-chs-blame-what-chs/2387571001/ https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/09/20/indian...
        monetus 5y ago
        I'm not going to download and read the pdf until later, but with three cases only reviewed by the researchers and not actively monitored by them (it seems), I'm curious how they could be at all certain CHS was caused by cannabis. A lot of receptors in the stomach, so it could make sense. Three cases studied after the fact though, I was hoping for something more thorough. The USA today article is reprehensible.
Terry_Roll 5y ago
So anyone who knows someone who has "pulled a whitey" when smoking weed has experienced a sudden release of glutathione https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glutathione#Cosmetics https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glutathione#Cosmetics So not surprised with this news considering the role it plays in cancer prevention initially and then protects the cancer cells once they get established.
- drsnow 5y ago
  Can you elaborate? I've pulled a whitey a couple times and I blame the tobacco mixed into the weed I was smoking for the sudden disorientation.
- EdwardDiego 5y ago
  What's a whitey?
  - ajkjk 5y ago
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitey_(drugs) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitey_(drugs)
    - Waterluvian 5y ago
      That reads as if the cause is a user fundamentally failing to care for their basic needs. I’m sure applying that stress to the body increases the risk of a lot of medical conditions.
      - escapedmoose 5y ago
        I felt that it reads like it was written by someone trying to convince others that marijuana use isn’t really the cause of this issue. I smoke on occasion and am certainly not anti-pot, but I’m often irked by the pro-marijuana group’s eagerness to sweep side-effects under the rug and to pretend pot is totally healthy. I’m going to need more than a Wikipedia article to write this off, personally.
    - 5y ago
pengaru 5y ago
We should prioritize development and population-wide administration of effective broad-spectrum HPV vaccines, regardless of how marijuana interacts with HPV-caused cancers. HPV is basically the cause of cervical cancer, work towards eradicating this long ignored as benign virus already.
- belltaco 5y ago
  Not going to be easy. https://www.christianpost.com/news/conservatives-raise-red-flag-on-mandatory-hpv-vaccine-for-girls-26520/ https://www.christianpost.com/news/conservatives-raise-red-f... https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2011/sep/16/michele-bachmann/bachmann-hpv-vaccine-cause-mental-retardation/ https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2011/sep/16/michele-ba...
  - pengaru 5y ago
    Children of such people have been dealt an awful hand.
    - WaxedChewbacca 5y ago
    - mensetmanusman 5y ago
      If only life were simple enough to make such statements. On the facet of risk towards a particular form of cancer, it might be an awful hand. On the fact of mental health, it might be a better hand than others: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/press-releases/religious-upbringing-adult-health/ https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/press-releases/religious-u... At the moment, since mental health seems to be a bigger issue than cancer (according to the media), it’s not trivial to define what an awful hand is :)
      - trasz 5y ago
        Your article is about religiousness in general, while the problem with HPV prevention is specific to a few specific denominations.
pmoriarty 5y ago
Though this study did not focus on other cancers, THC's adverse effect might not be limited to just HPV-related head and neck cancer. From the paper[1]: "Similar to CNR1, the cannabinoid receptor CNR2 was also found to be highly expressed and correlated with worse prognosis in tumors such as breast cancer (16), renal cancer (17), lung cancer (51), and HNSCC (21). In our study, the expression of CNR2 mRNA was upregulated in HNSCC compared with normal samples, and much higher in HPV-positive HNSCC samples. Meanwhile, knockdown of the expression of CNR2 inhibited the proliferation of HPV-positive HNSCC in vitro and in vivo. In addition, the selective CNR2 agonist Hu308 increased the growth, migration, and inhibited the apoptosis of HPV-positive HNSCC cells, whereas the selective CNR2 antagonist SR144528 exhibited an opposite effect. These phenomena were also observed in other tumors such as colon cancer, in which CNR2 activation promoted cancer progression via the AKT/GSK3β signaling pathway when cannabinoids used in concentrations similar to those in marijuana exposure (42)." I hope someone with a background in this area can thoroughly evaluate this paper and explain to us laymen how reliable they think its methods and conclusions are. I also hope followup studies are done, particularly in humans, as this study was only carried out in cells and in mice. As someone fighting cancer, this study worries me, despite the study being only done on cells and mice, and despite anti-drug research having a disgraceful history, which usually makes me take such studies with a grain of salt. [1] - https://clincancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/26/11/2693 https://clincancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/26/11/2693
- Terry_Roll 5y ago
  You might want to ask your medical expert about this. Penicillin based anti biotics break down into penicillamine https://wikidiff.com/penicillin/penicillamine https://wikidiff.com/penicillin/penicillamine "penicillamine treatment relies on its binding to accumulated copper and elimination through urine." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penicillamine https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penicillamine "Copper deficiency reduces interleukin-2 (IL-2) production and IL-2 mRNA in human T-lymphocytes" https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9039825/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9039825/ "In preclinical and early clinical studies, local application of IL-2 in the tumor has been shown to be clinical more effective in anticancer therapy than systemic IL-2 therapy, over a broad range of doses, without serious side effects." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interleukin_2#Medical_use https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interleukin_2#Medical_use I'm left wondering if the medical experts should be telling us to consume copper supplements after being on a course of penicillin based antibiotics to reduce our risk of cancer! IL-2 not only has a role in cancer treatment, but by regulating the white blood cells, how useful is this for old age problems like (rheumatoid) arthritis and other things like that? Salt (sodium chloride) will increase some CD4 cells in a dose dependent manner to a point. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1541612 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1541612 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30116758/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30116758/ I know other chemicals vit K2-mk4 will reduce the inflammatory effect in RA (synovial cells), and RA may be the result of not enough of vit K2-mk4 which then increases demand for copper. K2-mk4 so far as I can tell is the only fat soluble vitamin which is stored in bone and also induces apoptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma, leukemia, and MDS cell lines. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18484089 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18484089 This is just one pathway of many many in the body. Medicine is a type of chemical programming/hacking.
novok 5y ago
Is this related to smoking it or does it not matter if you eat or smoke it?
- astura 5y ago
  Exposure to THC is what matters >... researchers have identified the molecular mechanism activated by the presence of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)... in the bloodstream that accelerates cancer growth...
  - agumonkey 5y ago
    sigh, a lot of articles in the past mentionned the positive effects of cannabinoids on tumor growth (slower growth, no metastasis, also apoptosis trigger) so now it's a double edged sword.
    - HPsquared 5y ago
      It seems everything we eat both causes and prevents cancer, if all the different research is to be believed. https://www.sciencealert.com/everything-we-eat-both-causes-and-prevents-cancer https://www.sciencealert.com/everything-we-eat-both-causes-a... "Is everything we eat associated with cancer? A systematic cookbook review" (open access) https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/97/1/127/4576988 https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/97/1/127/4576988 Conclusions: Associations with cancer risk or benefits have been claimed for most food ingredients. Many single studies highlight implausibly large effects, even though evidence is weak. Effect sizes shrink in meta-analyses.
      - agumonkey 5y ago
        In nutrition it's my personal conclusion after roaming pubmed. Any ingredient can be linked to problems or benefits. Eat many, eat few, move often, relax, think, hug and sleep.
FancyPete2 5y ago
Most of these cancers seem to hit people aged 40-60, and I’m not sure from the article but I think they are saying if you have this cancer smoking weed might speed it’s growth, but not that it is a cause of the cancer in the first place. If that’s right I don’t get why this is being described as a crisis. Just suggest patients don’t smoke if they are diagnosed with this cancer. Source for the age claim: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26066977/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26066977/
- threatofrain 5y ago
  An important fact to have on the table would be whether marijuana use is tightly linked to early mortality. Regardless of the cause, whether it's cancer or heart disease, substantial increases in mortality should be observable.
- Hnrobert42 5y ago
  I thought folks often smoke marijuana to cope with nausea induced by chemo therapy. That might be part of the “crisis” aspect.
  - SuoDuanDao 5y ago
    Given that caloric restriction makes chemo therapy more effective[1], I wonder whether the mechanism is as simple as people who smoke cannabis during treatment having more appetite, which lowers the effectiveness of the treatment. [1]https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12916-017-0873-x https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12916-017-0873-x
    - BeFlatXIII 5y ago
      Fatal cases of the munchies.
intricatedetail 5y ago
How a study can be taken seriously if they use racism loaded slang name of a plant rather than its scientific name?
- riedel 5y ago
  Can you explain? The title paper is 'Cannabinoids Promote Progression of HPV-Positive Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma via p38 MAPK Activation'. You are probably refering to their press release.
  - intricatedetail 5y ago
    My bad, Thank you for pointing out. The press release should be corrected though.
- avs733 5y ago
  “ Cannabinoids Promote Progression of HPV-Positive Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma via p38 MAPK Activation” That is the study name. You are referencing the title of the press release from the university they work at. While it’s perfectly fair to discuss the historical context of words, it’s important that we also recognize that using commonly used terminology in translating science for public consumption is necessary. It’s also important to get basic facts right before trying to criticize peoples research.
  - intricatedetail 5y ago
    The N word is also commonly used, doesn't mean it's right. There should be no place for racism in academia. I am surprised this is up since 2020.
    - hn-sucks 5y ago
    - avs733 5y ago
      did you really compare saying Marijuana and a word you won't say?
paulsutter 5y ago
Why most published research findings are false: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Why_Most_Published_Research_Findings_Are_False https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Why_Most_Published_Research_...
- ChrisLomont 5y ago
  That study has been debunked. For example, in it he guesses at some factors fundamental to his thesis. Later studies to empirically measure those factors found his guesses to be wildly incorrect, and correcting for the empirical data, Ioannis claims are found to be unsupportable.
  - hamilyon2 5y ago
    Ironic, isn't it?
  - bigfudge 5y ago
    I'm not aware of those studies related to the Ioannides paper, but the story on replication in psychology and specifically social psychology is not at all pretty. My sense is that there are research domains that are functional, but others (social, clinical psychology) which are not at all. Given the level of motivated cognition and sloppy thinking evident in decades of psychiatric and other research into cannabis use, I wouldn't be at all surprised to find low standards in studies of this type. I'm not saying that's the case, but it's certainly my prior when reading any dietary studies, or studies of "bad effect x" of recreational drugs. In general, when publishing any study like this the research should be contextualised properly. For example, it would make sense to state the effect size in relation to the risk of drinking 10% more than the recommended units of alcohol, or smoking 20 cigarettes per day.
  - throwanem 5y ago
    Debunked where, by whom? Not that Ioannidis isn't a publicity hound of the first water, but if nothing else it'd be useful to have cites for the next time this comes up.
    - 5y ago

169 points by xyzwave 5y ago

So, if HPV is a sexually transmitted disease, and you are in a monogamous relationship, and you and your partner don't have it, what's to worry about here?

deleted 5y ago
[deleted]
stickfigure 5y ago
How do you know? HPV is transmitted by skin to skin contact. Have you ever had a wart on your skin, anywhere? HPV is incredibly common, contagious, and causes no noticeable effects in the overwhelming majority of cases. If you've had sex with more than one person, or the person you've had sex with has had sex with more than one, you've probably been exposed to one or more strains.
- robbiep 5y ago
  You’re making two points there. The response to the first is that the vast majority of cancer causing strains of HPV produce no noticeable warts. The second is yep, it’s common as hell - at least in older generations, post widespread availability of gardisil
- dreamcompiler 5y ago
  Furthermore condoms are ineffective at stopping HPV transmission, even though they are very effective against HIV. This is why almost every adult carries HPV (or did until a few years ago when the vaccines rolled out).
deleted 5y ago
[deleted]
friedturkey 5y ago
Apparently about 80% of sexually active people have some form of HPV. Even when people think they don't have it, it's quite probable they do. Statistically speaking, more than a couple people in these comments have some form of it.
- derefr 5y ago
  Even for the generations now who grew up with freely-available (but sadly not "matter-of-course") HPV vaccination?
  - yellow_lead 5y ago
    Can't answer your question but AFAIK the vaccination only covers something like 6 strains of HPV and there are many more.
    - gumby 5y ago
      There is a 9-valent vaccine for HPV but I don’t know if it is approved in the US. It’s a shame that the vaccine isn’t approved for older people as it appears to suppress a variety of viral cancers beyond HPV specifically.
  - s5300 5y ago
    Probably. Google is telling me you can receive the vaccine as early as 9, but it’s typically recommended/given at 11-12. If that’s correct, HPV is something as simple as foot/hand warts that can often be spread in things like gym locker rooms. A fair amount of people are exposed to those environments around or before that age, & sometimes it’s spread by something as simple as your shared home bathtub/shower.
sitharus 5y ago
It’s extremely widespread and in general there aren’t any tests for it. Fortunately there’s a vaccine now.
astura 5y ago
Can you be sure you've never been exposed to HPV? HPV is extremely common, most HPV infections are asymptomatic, and HPV can lie dormant in the body for years. Rather than "worry," there are a few actionable items - 1) Get your HPV vaccine and encourage others to get theirs 2) Get regular cervical cancer screenings ("pap test") if you have a cervix 3) See a medical professional if you have any symptoms
Broken_Hippo 5y ago
Monogomous doesn't mean anything in this context. It is possible to get it from non-sexual encounters - we've confirmed cases in virgins, after all [1] and if anyone has ever had other partners, they (or you!) have even more chance to have it as skin to skin contact will spread it (in other words, that condom won't stop it). Most people have had HPV at least once in their life. A lot of strains simply have no symptoms whatsoever, so folks don't even know they had it. Many cases simply clear up on their own after producing no symptoms. Some do cause warts and some hang around and cause cancer later in life, though. [1]https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33101476/#:~:text=The%20horizontal%20transfer%20of%20HPV,personal%20history%20of%20sexual%20abuse https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33101476/#:~:text=The%20hori....
deleted 5y ago
[deleted]

xqcgrek2 5y ago

Cannabis seems like it isn't all its hyped up to be -- and the $MJ cannabis ETF is down 70% since its 2019 peak.

7thaccount 5y ago
PBS Nova did a great documentary on Medical Cannabis recently. The researcher they interviewed said that "people seem to think it's either the greatest thing in the universe that cures all ailments or it's the devil's grass. The truth is probably somewhere in the middle". It can do great things like alleviate seizures in children, but they showed it has issues as well. One example was that those who smoke small amounts to help with PTSD will eventually become desensitized and have to increase their dosage and at higher doses, it could make the patient worse off.
- bryans 5y ago
  It was extremely disappointing that NOVA completely failed to mention Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome, and they also falsely claimed that there have been 0 marijuana-related deaths. They really didn't do their research for that episode.
  - monetus 5y ago
    Who died?
    - bryans 5y ago
      https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29768651/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29768651/ https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/09/20/indiana-boy-17-died-smoking-weed-chs-blame-what-chs/2387571001/ https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/09/20/indian...
      - monetus 5y ago
        I'm not going to download and read the pdf until later, but with three cases only reviewed by the researchers and not actively monitored by them (it seems), I'm curious how they could be at all certain CHS was caused by cannabis. A lot of receptors in the stomach, so it could make sense. Three cases studied after the fact though, I was hoping for something more thorough. The USA today article is reprehensible.

Terry_Roll 5y ago

So anyone who knows someone who has "pulled a whitey" when smoking weed has experienced a sudden release of glutathione https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glutathione#Cosmetics https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glutathione#Cosmetics So not surprised with this news considering the role it plays in cancer prevention initially and then protects the cancer cells once they get established.

drsnow 5y ago
Can you elaborate? I've pulled a whitey a couple times and I blame the tobacco mixed into the weed I was smoking for the sudden disorientation.
EdwardDiego 5y ago
What's a whitey?
- ajkjk 5y ago
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitey_(drugs) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitey_(drugs)
  - Waterluvian 5y ago
    That reads as if the cause is a user fundamentally failing to care for their basic needs. I’m sure applying that stress to the body increases the risk of a lot of medical conditions.
    - escapedmoose 5y ago
      I felt that it reads like it was written by someone trying to convince others that marijuana use isn’t really the cause of this issue. I smoke on occasion and am certainly not anti-pot, but I’m often irked by the pro-marijuana group’s eagerness to sweep side-effects under the rug and to pretend pot is totally healthy. I’m going to need more than a Wikipedia article to write this off, personally.
  - 5y ago

pengaru 5y ago

We should prioritize development and population-wide administration of effective broad-spectrum HPV vaccines, regardless of how marijuana interacts with HPV-caused cancers. HPV is basically the cause of cervical cancer, work towards eradicating this long ignored as benign virus already.

belltaco 5y ago
Not going to be easy. https://www.christianpost.com/news/conservatives-raise-red-flag-on-mandatory-hpv-vaccine-for-girls-26520/ https://www.christianpost.com/news/conservatives-raise-red-f... https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2011/sep/16/michele-bachmann/bachmann-hpv-vaccine-cause-mental-retardation/ https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2011/sep/16/michele-ba...
- pengaru 5y ago
  Children of such people have been dealt an awful hand.
  - WaxedChewbacca 5y ago
  - mensetmanusman 5y ago
    If only life were simple enough to make such statements. On the facet of risk towards a particular form of cancer, it might be an awful hand. On the fact of mental health, it might be a better hand than others: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/press-releases/religious-upbringing-adult-health/ https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/press-releases/religious-u... At the moment, since mental health seems to be a bigger issue than cancer (according to the media), it’s not trivial to define what an awful hand is :)
    - trasz 5y ago
      Your article is about religiousness in general, while the problem with HPV prevention is specific to a few specific denominations.

pmoriarty 5y ago

Though this study did not focus on other cancers, THC's adverse effect might not be limited to just HPV-related head and neck cancer. From the paper[1]: "Similar to CNR1, the cannabinoid receptor CNR2 was also found to be highly expressed and correlated with worse prognosis in tumors such as breast cancer (16), renal cancer (17), lung cancer (51), and HNSCC (21). In our study, the expression of CNR2 mRNA was upregulated in HNSCC compared with normal samples, and much higher in HPV-positive HNSCC samples. Meanwhile, knockdown of the expression of CNR2 inhibited the proliferation of HPV-positive HNSCC in vitro and in vivo. In addition, the selective CNR2 agonist Hu308 increased the growth, migration, and inhibited the apoptosis of HPV-positive HNSCC cells, whereas the selective CNR2 antagonist SR144528 exhibited an opposite effect. These phenomena were also observed in other tumors such as colon cancer, in which CNR2 activation promoted cancer progression via the AKT/GSK3β signaling pathway when cannabinoids used in concentrations similar to those in marijuana exposure (42)." I hope someone with a background in this area can thoroughly evaluate this paper and explain to us laymen how reliable they think its methods and conclusions are. I also hope followup studies are done, particularly in humans, as this study was only carried out in cells and in mice. As someone fighting cancer, this study worries me, despite the study being only done on cells and mice, and despite anti-drug research having a disgraceful history, which usually makes me take such studies with a grain of salt. [1] - https://clincancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/26/11/2693 https://clincancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/26/11/2693

Terry_Roll 5y ago
You might want to ask your medical expert about this. Penicillin based anti biotics break down into penicillamine https://wikidiff.com/penicillin/penicillamine https://wikidiff.com/penicillin/penicillamine "penicillamine treatment relies on its binding to accumulated copper and elimination through urine." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penicillamine https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penicillamine "Copper deficiency reduces interleukin-2 (IL-2) production and IL-2 mRNA in human T-lymphocytes" https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9039825/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9039825/ "In preclinical and early clinical studies, local application of IL-2 in the tumor has been shown to be clinical more effective in anticancer therapy than systemic IL-2 therapy, over a broad range of doses, without serious side effects." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interleukin_2#Medical_use https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interleukin_2#Medical_use I'm left wondering if the medical experts should be telling us to consume copper supplements after being on a course of penicillin based antibiotics to reduce our risk of cancer! IL-2 not only has a role in cancer treatment, but by regulating the white blood cells, how useful is this for old age problems like (rheumatoid) arthritis and other things like that? Salt (sodium chloride) will increase some CD4 cells in a dose dependent manner to a point. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1541612 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1541612 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30116758/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30116758/ I know other chemicals vit K2-mk4 will reduce the inflammatory effect in RA (synovial cells), and RA may be the result of not enough of vit K2-mk4 which then increases demand for copper. K2-mk4 so far as I can tell is the only fat soluble vitamin which is stored in bone and also induces apoptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma, leukemia, and MDS cell lines. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18484089 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18484089 This is just one pathway of many many in the body. Medicine is a type of chemical programming/hacking.

novok 5y ago

Is this related to smoking it or does it not matter if you eat or smoke it?

astura 5y ago
Exposure to THC is what matters >... researchers have identified the molecular mechanism activated by the presence of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)... in the bloodstream that accelerates cancer growth...
- agumonkey 5y ago
  sigh, a lot of articles in the past mentionned the positive effects of cannabinoids on tumor growth (slower growth, no metastasis, also apoptosis trigger) so now it's a double edged sword.
  - HPsquared 5y ago
    It seems everything we eat both causes and prevents cancer, if all the different research is to be believed. https://www.sciencealert.com/everything-we-eat-both-causes-and-prevents-cancer https://www.sciencealert.com/everything-we-eat-both-causes-a... "Is everything we eat associated with cancer? A systematic cookbook review" (open access) https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/97/1/127/4576988 https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/97/1/127/4576988 Conclusions: Associations with cancer risk or benefits have been claimed for most food ingredients. Many single studies highlight implausibly large effects, even though evidence is weak. Effect sizes shrink in meta-analyses.
    - agumonkey 5y ago
      In nutrition it's my personal conclusion after roaming pubmed. Any ingredient can be linked to problems or benefits. Eat many, eat few, move often, relax, think, hug and sleep.

FancyPete2 5y ago

Most of these cancers seem to hit people aged 40-60, and I’m not sure from the article but I think they are saying if you have this cancer smoking weed might speed it’s growth, but not that it is a cause of the cancer in the first place. If that’s right I don’t get why this is being described as a crisis. Just suggest patients don’t smoke if they are diagnosed with this cancer. Source for the age claim: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26066977/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26066977/

threatofrain 5y ago
An important fact to have on the table would be whether marijuana use is tightly linked to early mortality. Regardless of the cause, whether it's cancer or heart disease, substantial increases in mortality should be observable.
Hnrobert42 5y ago
I thought folks often smoke marijuana to cope with nausea induced by chemo therapy. That might be part of the “crisis” aspect.
- SuoDuanDao 5y ago
  Given that caloric restriction makes chemo therapy more effective[1], I wonder whether the mechanism is as simple as people who smoke cannabis during treatment having more appetite, which lowers the effectiveness of the treatment. [1]https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12916-017-0873-x https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12916-017-0873-x
  - BeFlatXIII 5y ago
    Fatal cases of the munchies.

intricatedetail 5y ago

How a study can be taken seriously if they use racism loaded slang name of a plant rather than its scientific name?

riedel 5y ago
Can you explain? The title paper is 'Cannabinoids Promote Progression of HPV-Positive Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma via p38 MAPK Activation'. You are probably refering to their press release.
- intricatedetail 5y ago
  My bad, Thank you for pointing out. The press release should be corrected though.
avs733 5y ago
“ Cannabinoids Promote Progression of HPV-Positive Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma via p38 MAPK Activation” That is the study name. You are referencing the title of the press release from the university they work at. While it’s perfectly fair to discuss the historical context of words, it’s important that we also recognize that using commonly used terminology in translating science for public consumption is necessary. It’s also important to get basic facts right before trying to criticize peoples research.
- intricatedetail 5y ago
  The N word is also commonly used, doesn't mean it's right. There should be no place for racism in academia. I am surprised this is up since 2020.
  - hn-sucks 5y ago
  - avs733 5y ago
    did you really compare saying Marijuana and a word you won't say?

paulsutter 5y ago

Why most published research findings are false: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Why_Most_Published_Research_Findings_Are_False https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Why_Most_Published_Research_...

ChrisLomont 5y ago
That study has been debunked. For example, in it he guesses at some factors fundamental to his thesis. Later studies to empirically measure those factors found his guesses to be wildly incorrect, and correcting for the empirical data, Ioannis claims are found to be unsupportable.
- hamilyon2 5y ago
  Ironic, isn't it?
- bigfudge 5y ago
  I'm not aware of those studies related to the Ioannides paper, but the story on replication in psychology and specifically social psychology is not at all pretty. My sense is that there are research domains that are functional, but others (social, clinical psychology) which are not at all. Given the level of motivated cognition and sloppy thinking evident in decades of psychiatric and other research into cannabis use, I wouldn't be at all surprised to find low standards in studies of this type. I'm not saying that's the case, but it's certainly my prior when reading any dietary studies, or studies of "bad effect x" of recreational drugs. In general, when publishing any study like this the research should be contextualised properly. For example, it would make sense to state the effect size in relation to the risk of drinking 10% more than the recommended units of alcohol, or smoking 20 cigarettes per day.
- throwanem 5y ago
  Debunked where, by whom? Not that Ioannidis isn't a publicity hound of the first water, but if nothing else it'd be useful to have cites for the next time this comes up.
  - 5y ago