Cancer is one of the scariest, most intense experiences you can face in your life. With symptoms that can range from annoying to debilitating and treatments that can be just as hard on your body as the disease, it seems like an uphill battle from the day you are diagnosed. But when you visit Dr. Frankel and Dr. Kurzman at GreenBridge Medical, in Santa Monica, California, you can make a plan using the strategy of dosed medical cannabis to help make your disease — and treatment — a little more manageable. Call or book your appointment online to learn more.
Cancer isn’t one single disease but actually an array of diseases that share common traits. Cancer is a collection of abnormal cells that spread rapidly while not functioning as they should.
These harmful cells can continue to expand to other body parts and cause significant health problems. Cancer should always be taken extremely seriously, and while not all cancers are life-threatening, it’s always better to be safe than sorry.
Since there are so many forms of cancer, there’s an array of treatments for it as well, some tailored specifically to cancer located in specific parts of the body.
If cancer is localized, meaning it has not spread to other parts of your body, it may be removable through surgery. If surgery is not an option, Dr. Frankel or Dr. Kurzman will likely design a treatment plan specifically for you, often involving chemotherapy and radiation.
Because of the aggressive nature of the disease, fighting cancer can mean using the most drastic steps available. Sometimes, however, treatments like chemotherapy and radiation will make you feel like nothing could be worse than their own side effects.
Chemotherapy is designed to kill fast-growing cells, and this is an important way that it fights your cancer. But it also means that with chemotherapy drugs coursing through your body, some healthy cells get caught in a crossfire.
Fast-growing cells in your bone marrow, hair follicles, and digestive tract can all be victims of chemotherapy, which can produce the following unpleasant side effects, among others:
Some people have some or all of these symptoms with varying severity, while others may have no real side effects to their treatment at all. These side effects and the treatment itself can last for widely varying amounts of time as well.
While its effects on cancer cells are still the subject of research, cannabis has been widely shown to improve a patient’s quality of life effectively by managing the side effects of cancer treatment. The anti-cancer properties of cannabis work through multiple mechanisms, and there are now clinical trials showing it as an effective cancer treatment.
People who suffer from cancer can benefit from whole plant cannabis. Cannabis, especially the cannabinoids tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), can help boost appetite, manage pain, treat nausea and vomiting, and treat the anxiety that goes along with fighting cancer.
Many forms of cannabis, especially when used in a dosed cannabis method, are taken orally, and can be added to a treatment plan very easily.
If you’re interested in using cannabis to help you as you face cancer and its treatment, contact the staff at GreenBridge Medical by phone or online to set up an appointment.
