Cannabis use among patients with cutaneous lymphoma: A cross-sectional survey

Abstract

Objectives: To evaluate patterns of cannabis use in patients with cutaneous lymphoma (CL), as well as the association between cannabis use and itch specifically. Design: Cross-sectional survey created in partnership with the Cutaneous Lymphoma Foundation (CLF). Setting: The online survey was distributed electronically via email to the CLF listserv and links posted to social media over a 2-week period. Main outcome measures: Respondents were classified as current cannabis users, prior users, and never users. A visual analog scale (VAS) was used to assess itching severity, improvement of itch, and interest in learning about cannabis. Results: A total of 119 patient responses (61% female, mean age 59 y) were included in analysis. The majority had mycosis fungoides or Sézary syndrome (74%; 88/119) and early stage (IA-IIA) disease (56%; 48/86). Mean VAS itch score was 3.2 + 2.8 for the cohort. Over half (55%; 60/110) reported ever having used cannabis, with 22% (24/110) endorsing current cannabis use. Common methods of cannabis use were smoking (54%) and vaporizing (46%). 25% (6/24) of current users reported using cannabis specifically to treat itch; these respondents noted that cannabis resulted in moderate improvement of itching (mean 6.6/10). There was strong interest in learning more about cannabis and cancer, and most desired this information from their CL doctor/nurse. Conclusions: Cannabis use is common among patients with CL, and patients report improvement of itching as a result of using cannabis. Further studies are needed to elucidate the risks and benefits of cannabis use in this patient population.

Keywords

• Cannabis
• Alternative medicine/complementary medicine
• Cutaneous lymphoma
• CTCL
• Itch