Medical Marijuana For Cancer
If either you or a loved one has been diagnosed with cancer, medical marijuana could be a good fit into your treatment plan. Medical marijuana cannot guarantee to resolve your cancer, but it can make you feel more comfortable throughout the cancer's course. Cross Valley Health & Medicine practitioners are based out of Newburgh New York and are able to certified you or your loved ones for medical marijuana. Both Doctor Paul Saladino and Christian Plaza, FNP can see patients in-person or virtually through telemedicine, so you can schedule an appointment with ease.*
What is cancer?
According to the National Cancer Institute, they define cancer as "a disease in which some of the body's cells grow uncontrollably and spread to other parts of the body." Cancer has the potential to begin almost anywhere in your body since the average body contains trillions of cells. When older or damaged cells can no longer function, they die off and are in a sense reborn again. When something happens to this process, the old and damaged cells may continue to multiply when they should not. This grouping of old and damaged cells form what are called tumors, which are lumps of tissue. Not every tumor is cancerous.
A cancerous tumor has the potential to spread into other parts of your body causing widespread bolidy harm.
What is the typical treatment for cancer?
If you or a loved one have been diagnosed with any kind of cancer, your practitioner may suggest commonly used treatments such as surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation.
For those undertaking the surgery route, the surgeon and their team will target the tumor mass and attempt to surgically remove it from your body. This may not completely remove cancer from your body, but can relieve some of the symptoms developed resulting from this condition.
Those attempting chemotherapy will be given a mixture of drugs pumped directly into your bloodstream through an IV. These drugs are designed specifically to neutralize cancer cells.
Radiation therapy involves the use of x-rays and other radioactive imaging procedures to eliminate cancer cells directly. This type of therapy is designed to eliminate fast-growing cells, so the radiated waves will kill more cancerous cells than normal cells.
There are many more treatment options to explore, you can read more about these options here
How can medical marijuana help treat cancer?
Medical marijuana takes the marijuana plant's chemicals and then the plant is grown and cultivated specifically to treat a variety of medical conditions. WebMD explained that "the marijuana plant contains more than 100 different chemicals called cannabinoids. Each one has a different effect on the body. Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) are the main chemicals used in medicine. THC also produces the same "high" people feel when they smoke marijuana or eat foods containing it." Medical marijuana comes in many different forms such as dried leaves, edibles, oils, sprays, and creams.
There are several medical studies out there that suggest medical marijuana can help ease:
- Nausea and Vomiting - for those patients undergoing chemotherapy, a common side effect is nausea and vomiting. There is currently limited research fully proving medical marijuana can fully eliminate this side effect, but more and more studies come out each day now that many states are reviewing the medical benefits of medical marijuana usage.
- Appetite and Weight Loss - there are some cases where THC assists in the stimulation of appetite which may slow down weight loss for patients with more aggressive forms of cancer. For patients also suffering from anorexia and/or cachexia medical marijuana may help as well.
- Pain - when conventional therapies for cancer treatment become infective or caused harmful effects, medical marijuana could ease the pain. Some medical marijuana products may contain anti-inflammatory properties, like painkillers.
Who is Cross Valley Health & Medicine?
Cross Valley Health & Medicine is a primary care practice located in Newburgh NY, allowing for both virtual and in-person appointments. The practice has two medical providers on staff, Doctor Paul Saladino who is dual board-certified in Addiction Medicine and Internal Medicine and a Christian Plaza, who is a family nurse practitioner. Both practitioners are eager to see new patients for the following programs: Substance Abuse Treatment, Behavioral Health Management, HIV/AIDS Care Management, Primary Care, Medical Marijuana Certifications, Medication-Assisted Treatment, STD/STI Care Management, and Weight Loss Management. If you are interested in becoming a patient of Cross Valley, please click here to access our online paperwork portal. Visit us online at www.crossvalleyhealth.com or give our office a call at 845-561-7075.
*Any information listed on this page is provided for medical educational purposes only, and shall not be taken as medical advice provided by Cross Valley Health & Medicine. Any medications listed on this page are also provided for medical educational purposes only, and the use of any of these mentioned medications should stem from consulting with your provider.