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CANNABINOIDS FOR SYMPTOM MANAGEMENT IN CHILDREN WITH CANCER: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS

What did we do?

We reviewed the scientific literature on cannabinoid use in children with cancer to help families and healthcare providers find answers about the safety and benefits of cannabis products (cannabinoids) in pediatric cancer.

What is a systematic review and meta-analysis?

Systematic Review: Thorough process where experts gather and analyze ALL available studies on a specific topic.

Meta-Analysis: Combining and comparing data from multiple studies to find deeper insights.

How many studies did we find?

Our comprehensive process identified 19 unique studies with more than 1500 participants including children ranging from 3 months up to 18 years of age.

What did the results show?

Cannabis products were used for different reasons including most commonly for nausea, vomiting, and seizures.

Cannabinoids performed better in managing nausea compared to control.

Commonly reported adverse events in children receiving cannabinoids were drowsiness, feeling high, dizziness, and dry mouth. There were no serious adverse events.

What is this important?

Given that some children report benefits while other children experience adverse events, it is important that more studies evaluating the effects of cannabinoids on children with cancer are done and shared with parents, patients and the healthcare community.

For more information, visit www.medcannkids.ca

Produced by Jessica Steer and Zina Zaslawski in April 2024.

C4T is an academic partnership. Funding details and COI are available on our website.