ArticleCancers2020
Cannabis Consumption Used by Cancer Patients during Immunotherapy Correlates with Poor Clinical Outcome.
Article in Cancers, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 71 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
71 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 128 citations in OpenAlex.
- The impact of cannabis on immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy: a systematic review of immunomodulatory effects of cannabis in patients with and without cancer.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2025Pooled it
- Cannabis and Cannabinoids in Adults With Cancer: ASCO Guideline.Journal of clinical oncology : official journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology · 2024Guideline
- MASCC guideline: cannabis for cancer-related pain and risk of harms and adverse events.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2023Guideline
- A randomized trial of medical cannabis in patients with stage IV cancers to assess feasibility, dose requirements, impact on pain and opioid use, safety, and overall patient satisfaction.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2021Trial
- Medical Cannabis and the Hallmarks of Cancer: A Critical Narrative Review.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Review
- The Relationship Between (Endo)cannabinoids, the Microbiome and Melanoma.Pharmacology research & perspectives · 2026Review
- Aryl hydrocarbon receptor orchestrates transcriptomic, non-coding and splicing programs that drive human lung epithelial responses to vaporized cannabis in vitro.Archives of toxicology · 2026Article
- Identification of Changes in the Transcriptome Profile of Human Hepatoma HepG2 Cells Exposed to Combined Sorafenib and Cannabis Treatment.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Article
- Cannabis Use by Veterans and Potential Interactions With Antineoplastic Agents: Analysis and Literature Review.Federal practitioner : for the health care professionals of the VA, DoD, and PHS · 2026Article
- Reasons for Using Cannabis Among Adults in the United States: Associations with Demographics, Health Behaviors, Chronic Conditions, and Legal Status.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2026Article
- Review
- Leveraging the national cancer institute's collaborative efforts to understand the benefits and harms of cannabis use among individuals with cancer.Journal of the National Cancer Institute · 2026Article
- The impact of concomitant medications on treatment outcomes in patients with cancer receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors.Nature reviews. Cancer · 2026Review
- Cannabinoids in hematologic malignancies: mechanisms and therapeutic potential for overcoming drug resistance.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2026Review
- Cannabinoids in oncology: pharmacology, clinical applications, and translational perspectives.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2026Review
- "Medical Cannabis": Advising Patients While Navigating Medical Ethics and Limited Evidence.Journal of general internal medicine · 2026Article
- Effects of Inhaled Tobacco and Cannabis Co-Use on Respiratory Health and Tobacco Cessation: An Official American Thoracic Society Research Statement.American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine · 2025Article
- Targeting bladder cancer: Potent anti-cancer effects of cannabichromene and delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol-richAsian journal of urology · 2025Article
- Article
- Evaluating the Antitumor Potential of Cannabichromene, Cannabigerol, and Related Compounds fromInternational journal of molecular sciences · 2025Article
11 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
- Erratum issued
Authors and funding
13 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
Cannabis or its derivatives are widely used by patients with cancer to help with cancer symptoms and treatment side effects. However, cannabis has potent immunomodulatory properties. To determine if cannabis consumption during immunotherapy affects therapy outcomes, we conducted a prospective observatory study including 102 (68 immunotherapy and 34 immunotherapy plus cannabis) consecutive patients with advanced cancers who initiated immunotherapy. Cannabis consumption correlated with a significant decrease in time to tumor progression and overall survival. On the other hand, the use of cannabis reduced therapy-related immune-related adverse events. We also tested the possibility that cannabis may affect the immune system or the tumor microenvironment through the alteration of the endocannabinoid system. We analyzed a panel of serum endocannabinoids (eCBs) and eCB-like lipids, measuring their levels before and after immunotherapy in both groups. Levels of serum eCBs and eCB-like lipids, before immunotherapy, showed no significant differences between cannabis users to nonusers. Nevertheless, the levels of four eCB and eCB-like compounds were associated with patients' overall survival time. Collectively, cannabis consumption has considerable immunomodulatory effects, and its use among cancer patients needs to be carefully considered due to its potential effects on the immune system, especially during treatment with immunotherapy.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.