If you’ve ever waited for a cancer scan, you’ll know the anxiety can begin long before you walk into the hospital. The sleepless nights, racing thoughts, tight chest, upset stomach and constant fear of what the results might show can become overwhelming. For many people, the build-up to scans becomes one of the hardest parts of living with cancer.
There is even a name for it now: scanxiety.
And researchers are starting to look more closely at whether CBD may have a role in helping people manage that anxiety. A recent randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial carried out at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute looked specifically at CBD for scan-related anxiety in women with advanced breast cancer.
The study involved 50 women who were experiencing significant anxiety before undergoing cancer-related imaging. They were randomly given either 400mg of oral CBD or a placebo before their scan. The researchers then measured anxiety levels over the following hours. Although the study did not meet its primary endpoint, the results became particularly interesting a little later.
Between two and four hours after taking CBD, the women in the CBD group had significantly lower anxiety levels than those who had received the placebo. That is important because this was not an observational study or simply people reporting their own experiences online. It was a controlled human trial specifically looking at CBD in cancer patients experiencing anxiety.
The researchers also reported that there were no grade 3 or grade 4 toxic effects associated with the CBD used in the study.
Now, this does not mean CBD has suddenly been proven as a treatment for cancer, and that is not what this particular study was investigating. What it does show is something far more specific and very relevant. CBD is increasingly being studied for some of the very real issues that can surround a cancer diagnosis, including anxiety, sleep disturbance, discomfort and quality of life.
For somebody waiting for scan results, reducing anxiety even slightly can make a huge difference to how they cope with that experience.
CBD interacts with several signalling systems in the body involved in mood, stress response and nervous-system regulation. One area researchers continue to investigate is its interaction with serotonin signalling, particularly the 5-HT1A receptor, which plays a role in anxiety and mood.
CBD also interacts indirectly with the body’s endocannabinoid system, a regulatory network involved in processes including mood, sleep, appetite, inflammation, immune signalling and the stress response. The endocannabinoid system is one of the reasons cannabinoids have attracted so much scientific interest over recent years.
Rather than acting in one single area of the body, this system helps maintain balance across multiple physiological processes. That does not mean CBD works the same way for everybody, and it certainly does not mean more is always better. But it does help explain why researchers are investigating CBD in such a wide range of areas.
Something that is often forgotten in conversations about cancer is that the person is dealing with far more than the tumour itself. There can be fear, insomnia, appetite changes, pain, digestive issues, medication side effects, hormonal disruption, fatigue and enormous emotional stress. And when somebody is under that level of pressure, supporting their nervous system and quality of life should not be treated as an afterthought.
This is why studies like this interest me, not because one study proves everything, because it does not. But because we are finally beginning to see more human research into cannabinoids and the wider experience of living with cancer rather than only looking at this health issue in isolation.
For years, people using cannabis and CBD alongside conventional cancer care have spoken about benefits such as relaxation, sleep, appetite and general wellbeing. Science is now beginning to examine some of those experiences in properly controlled clinical studies. There is still a great deal more research needed for the medics to be educated, particularly larger trials involving different cancers, different doses and longer periods of use. But this study adds another piece to a much bigger picture.
CBD is not simply being discussed in wellness circles anymore, it is being studied in major cancer centres. And for anyone who has experienced the anxiety that comes with waiting for a scan, that research is certainly worth paying attention to.
Read the study: Cannabidiol for Scan-Related Anxiety in Women With Advanced Breast Cancer: A Randomized Clinical Trial
Published in JAMA Network Open.
Written by Dee Mani
A: Research is still developing, but a recent randomised clinical trial involving women with advanced breast cancer found that anxiety levels were significantly lower in the CBD group than in the placebo group two to four hours after taking CBD.
A: Scanxiety is the anxiety many people experience before, during or while waiting for the results of cancer-related scans. It can affect sleep, mood, appetite and overall wellbeing.
A: The participants received a single oral dose of 400mg of pharmaceutical-grade CBD.
A: No. This particular study did not investigate CBD as a cancer treatment. It looked specifically at whether CBD could help with anxiety experienced by women with advanced breast cancer before a scan.
A: Yes. Researchers are investigating cannabinoids in relation to several areas of cancer supportive care, including anxiety, nausea, pain, sleep and quality of life. The evidence varies depending on the condition, cannabinoid preparation and type of study.
This article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent cancer or any other medical condition. The study discussed here investigated CBD for cancer-related anxiety and did not assess CBD as a treatment for cancer itself.
Anyone undergoing cancer treatment or taking prescription medication should discuss CBD or other cannabinoid products with an appropriately qualified healthcare professional, as CBD can interact with some medicines.
Study: Nayak MM, Chai P, Catalano PJ, et al. Cannabidiol for Scan-Related Anxiety in Women With Advanced Breast Cancer: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Network Open. 2024;7(12).
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