Medical Oncology Unit, Sapienza University of Rome, Via di Grottarossa, 1035-1039, Rome, Italy.
Division of Early Drug Development for Innovative Therapies, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, Milan, Italy.
Support Care Cancer. 2021 Dec;29(12):7845-7854. doi: 10.1007/s00520-021-06383-7. Epub 2021 Jun 26.
Despite advances in supportive care, cancer-related symptoms tend to be persistent regardless of cancer type, stage of disease, or treatment received. There is an increasing prescription for complementary and alternative medicines, such as medical cannabis (MC). Knowledge and attitudes of Italian medical oncologists and palliative care physicians toward medical cannabis in cancer care remain unknown.
We conducted a cross-sectional study to investigate the knowledge and attitude toward MC prescription among cancer care professionals in Italy. All invited participants received an email with the electronic questionnaire accessible through a direct link.
Among the 2616 members who received the invitation, 475 replied to the questionnaire and were considered for the survey analysis. The most prescribed formulations among those available in Italy were cannabis FM2. The most frequent clinical indications for the use of MC were pain, gastrointestinal, and mood disorders. Only 9 responders reported MC-related side effects like anxiety insomnia and muscle spasms. The question regarding the normative references for MC prescription and use in Italy had conflicting results: only 14% indicated the exact legislative reference.
Our study highlights a significant discrepancy between personal attitudes, prescription levels, and actual knowledge on MC. This represent a critical issue that should be systemically faced, building educational programs and national guidelines that sublimate personal physicians' beliefs and predispositions, resulting in a robust science-based MC practice. Only through coordinated interventions on science and health policy of MC, there will be success of safety and efficacy, ensuring the best knowledge for the best outcomes.
尽管支持性护理有了进步，但癌症相关症状往往持续存在，无论癌症类型、疾病阶段或所接受的治疗如何。越来越多的人开出处方，使用补充和替代药物，如医用大麻（MC）。意大利肿瘤内科医生和姑息治疗医生对癌症治疗中使用医用大麻的知识和态度尚不清楚。
我们进行了一项横断面研究，以调查意大利癌症护理专业人员对 MC 处方的知识和态度。所有受邀参与者都收到了一封电子邮件，其中包含可通过直接链接访问的电子问卷。
在收到邀请的 2616 名成员中，有 475 名回复了问卷，并被纳入调查分析。在意大利可用的制剂中，最常开的是大麻 FM2。MC 最常见的临床应用指征是疼痛、胃肠道和情绪障碍。只有 9 名应答者报告了与 MC 相关的副作用，如焦虑、失眠和肌肉痉挛。关于 MC 在意大利的处方和使用的规范参考的问题有相互矛盾的结果：只有 14%的人指出了确切的立法参考。
我们的研究突出了个人态度、处方水平和对 MC 的实际知识之间存在显著差异。这是一个亟待解决的关键问题，应该通过系统的方法来解决，建立教育项目和国家指南，升华医生个人的信念和倾向，从而形成基于科学的稳健的 MC 实践。只有通过协调干预 MC 的科学和卫生政策，才能确保安全和疗效的成功，为最佳结果提供最佳知识。
