Marijuana compound impedes breast cancer

Photo courtesy Poundmed.blogspot.com

Bay City News

November 19, 2007

A compound found in marijuana might help stop breast cancer from spreading, according to a study announced today.

Scientists at the California Pacific Medical Center Research Institute believe the compound CBD found in Cannabis sativa could be the first non-toxic agent to show promise in treating metastatic forms of breast cancer.

Researchers hope the marijuana compound will be an effective alternative to harsh treatments like chemotherapy.

"Right now we have a limited range of options in treating aggressive forms of cancer," says Sean D. McAllister, cancer researcher and lead author of the study. "This compound offers the hope of a non-toxic therapy that could achieve the same results without any of the painful side effects."

Scientists used CBD to inhibit the activity of a gene believed to be responsible for the aggressive spread of cancer cells in the body.

The gene is "a key regulator" in the spread of breast cancer and can also be present in other forms of cancers, including colon, brain or prostate cancer, researchers say.

"(CBD) may also prove effective at stopping the spread of cancer cells in other forms of the disease," said cancer researcher Pierre-Yves Desprez.

The findings do not mean scientists recommend people with breast cancer to smoke marijuana. They say it's unlikely someone could ingest effective concentrations of CBD by smoking marijuana.

The study has been published in the latest issue of the journal Molecular Cancer Therapeutics and was primarily funded by the California Breast Cancer Research Program.

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