November 6th, 2020
Photo credit: fineartamerica.com
November 13th 2020 is Pancreatic cancer awareness day!
This disease is caused by malignant cells which develop in the pancreas, these growths then affect the pancreas’ ability to function correctly. What’s scary is the statistics of this deadly disease.
** 3077 Australians died from pancreatic cancer in 2018
** The 5 year survival rate of this disease is 10.7 %
This is a major cause of cancer death among Australians and worth taking the time to discuss, create awareness and encourage more research to be done for our fellow Aussies.
Keep an eye out for any of the following symptoms and consult a doctor if you feel like these relate to yourself or one of your loved ones.
Jaundice - diabetes - blood clots - abdominal pain - poor appetite - unexplained weight loss
Nausea - vomiting - enlargement of liver or gallbladder - difference in texture of fatty tissues.
The most common treatments provided for pancreatic cancer patients are surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, ablation (using extreme temperatures), embolization (blocking blood flow to area). The side effects can be fatigue, hair loss, nausea, digestive concern, suppressed immune system, all too common when treating cancers.
So what can we possibly do about this ?
Our endocannabinoid system, which is a natural occuring system within our bodies (for more detailed information, refer to our article explaining how this works). This system could be the key to helping to treat this disease in a more gentle manner.
What we know:
Pancreatic tumour cells have more cannabinoid receptors than normal pancreatic tissues. This is great news - these tumour cells will be more reactive to cannabinoids. Cannabinoids are compounds found within cannabis, the most common being tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD).
A team of scientists worked on the relationship between the cannabinoids and the pancreatic tissues revealed data that suggested these cannabinoids inhibit the progression of pancreatic tumour cells without damaging the healthy cells… THIS IS HUGE !
Treating pancreatic cancer with medicinal cannabis can not only slow the growth of these cancerous cells but also provide pain relief, reduce vomiting and nausea, provide appetite stimulation and anti-fatigue properties (Sativa strain).
As the medicinal cannabis industry is relatively new (legalised) the research and clinical studies are still being conducted here in Australia, as more funding is provided we expect to see many more conditions added to the list of approved conditions. All treatments and discussions should be discussed with your doctor, or an approved authorised cannabis doctor.
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