Condition

Cancer-Related Pain

Cancer pain can come from a tumor pressing on tissues or nerves, from treatments like surgery, radiation or chemotherapy, or from general weakness, and it is common in advanced disease. Vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids have the strongest supplement evidence, though only moderate, and in small trials of cannabis extracts pain improved. Those cannabis studies were limited, six in all with 39 people, and involved pain that persisted despite strong opioids.

Sources: PMID 23141881; PMID 19896326

Supplements studied: 1
Graded outcomes: 1
Trials: 1
People studied: 3,564

Evidence by supplement

Strong
Moderate
Limited
Very limited

1 supplement

Cannabis

Cannabis: outcomes studied for Cancer-Related Pain
Grade	Outcome	Effect	Size	Studies	People
	Pain Small Improvement	Improves (the measure goes down)	Small effect	6 studies	39 people
Studies that measured pain An open-label extension study to investigate the long-term safety and tolerability of THC/CBD oromucosal spray and oromucosal THC spray in patients with terminal cancer-related pain refractory to strong opioid analgesicsJ Pain Symptom Manage · PMID 23141881 Comparison of the analgesic effects of dronabinol and smoked marijuana in daily marijuana smokersNeuropsychopharmacology · PMID 23609132 Multicenter, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study of the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of THC:CBD extract and THC extract in patients with intractable cancer-related painJ Pain Symptom Manage · PMID 19896326 and 3 more on the Cannabis page
	Sleep Quality	Improves (the measure goes up)		4 studies	1,442 people
Studies that measured sleep quality Cannabinoids for adult cancer-related pain: systematic review and meta-analysisBMJ Support Palliat Care · PMID 31959586 A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel group study of THC/CBD spray in peripheral neuropathic pain treatmentEur J Pain · PMID 24420962 Sativex successfully treats neuropathic pain characterised by allodynia: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trialPain · PMID 17997224 and 1 more on the Cannabis page

Key findings

PainCannabisImproves (the measure goes down)

The Cancer-Related Pain Supportive Care protocol

2 primary supplements · 6 supporting supplements

Vitamin D2,000–4,000 IU daily (higher doses may be needed; monitor levels)
Omega-3 Fatty Acids2–3 g EPA+DHA daily

See the full protocol

Studies cited

1 study from PubMed

Efficacy of natural products in preventing oral mucositis resulting from cancer therapies: A network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Crit Rev Oncol Hematol · PMID 38710295

Evidence by supplement

Cannabis

Key findings

The Cancer-Related Pain Supportive Care protocol

Studies cited

Related conditions

Supplement stack for Cancer-Related Pain