Cannabis oil treatment (THC)

Dear Stephen, dear all!

What do you think about using cannabis oil with a high content of THC component to treat glioblastoma. (Exact component concentration is not known (but declared as high).

Based on recommendations of one doctor, the oil should be applied according to the following scheme (it's also known as Rick Simpson's scheme):

* first day - one drop x 2 times a day;

* then every three days increase intake by one drop in the morning and evening

* reach 24 drops (approximately 1 ml) and take this amount x 2 times a day.

There are a lot of wonderful stories about its anti-cancer effect in the Internet, especially in case of brain tumor. But then I found this research http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/64/6/1943.long#sec-10.

"Treatment of the glioblastoma cell line U373-MG and the lung carcinoma cell line NCI-H292 with nanomolar concentrations of THC led to accelerated cell proliferation that was completely dependent on metalloprotease and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) activity."

"In the light of these results, the use of cannabinoids in cancer therapy has to be reconsidered, because relatively high concentrations of THC induce apoptosis in cancer cells, whereas nanomolar concentrations enhance tumor cell proliferation and may, therefore, accelerate cancer progression in patients."

"Smoking of THC is the most effective route of delivery, as THC is rapidly absorbed after inhalation, and the effects become fully apparent within minutes. Pharmacological activity of smoked THC depends on the depth and length of inhalation. Maximum serum concentrations up to 267 ng/ml (850 nm) are measured after smoking THC, whereas maximum serum concentrations of oral or rectal administered THC or its derivatives as a drug are lower (35–350 nm). Here we observed a proliferative response of glioblastoma and lung cancer cells at concentrations of 100–300 nm THC, whereas THC at micromolar concentrations induced cell death in agreement with previous observations with neuronal cell types and immune cells. These findings indicate that the biological responses to cannabinoids critically depend on drug concentration and cellular context. Taken together, these results have to be taken into account when considering therapeutic applications of cannabinoids. The risk in the medical use of THC or cannabis for the treatment of patients with established tumors is the further acceleration of tumor growth due to the proliferative potential of cannabinoids."

Questions:

1. Has anyone tried to measure THC concentrationt in the blood? Are there any tests for home use that can show the quantitative content of this component in the blood? I know that there are tests for saliva and urine, but how to compare blood concentration and saliva/urine?

2. Perhaps it is easier to measure the THC concentration in one oil drop? And then to estimate what concentration it causes in the blood?

3. Do I understand correctly that THC has a cumulative effect when using daily and in principle it is real to achieve micromolar concentration after some time?

4. Is it possible to avoid the psychotropic effect with micromolar concentration?

5. Is THC effective by itself or only with radiation therapy or chemotherapy?

6. May be it's really better smoking if it allows to achieve more THC concentration? 

I am looking forward to your answers! Thank you!

And please accept my late congratulations with New Year! Let it be full of wonders! Health to all of you and your loved ones!

Irina