Cannabis and Lung Cancer: A Link Stronger Than It Appears

"Pradère led a multicenter prospective study, supported by the French National Cancer Institute, which included 150 patients younger than 60 years diagnosed with primary lung cancer. The study aimed to evaluate both the prevalence of cannabis consumption among these patients and whether the lung cancer of cannabis smokers differed from that of tobacco smokers. Preliminary findings:“We observed a high prevalence of cannabis use in this group of young patients with highly lethal lung cancer. 38% were cannabis smokers, with an average consumption of four joints per day over a median period of 26 years. The study also found that cannabis smokers had a higher incidence of poor prognosis cancers, such as poorly differentiated carcinomas and sarcomatoid carcinomas."

Author: Pauline Pradère, MD

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