Cannabis Use Is Associated with Pain Severity and Interference Among Cancer Survivors.

Context: Cannabis use for symptom management among individuals with cancer is increasingly common. Objectives: We sought to describe the (1) prevalence and characteristics of cannabis use, (2) perceived therapeutic benefits of cannabis use, and (3) examine how use of cannabis was associated with self-reported pain, mood, and general health outcomes in a representative sample of patients treated at a National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Oregon Health and Science University Knight Cancer Institute. Methods: We conducted a population-based, cross-sectional survey developed in conjunction with 11 other NCI-designated cancer centers and distributed to eligible individuals. The survey inquired about characteristics of cannabis use, perception of therapeutic benefits, pain, mood, and general health. Responses were population weighted. We examined the association of cannabis use with self-reported pain, mood, and general health using logistic regression controlling for relevant sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. Results: A total of 523 individuals were included in our analytic sample. A total of 54% endorsed using cannabis at any time since their cancer diagnosis and 42% endorsed using cannabis during active treatment. The most commonly endorsed reasons for use included the following: sleep disturbance (54.7%), pain (47.1%), and mood (42.6%). We found that moderate pain was associated with more than a twofold (odds ratio = 2.4 [95% confidence interval = 1.3-4.6], p = 0.002) greater likelihood of self-reported cannabis use. Depressed mood and general health were not associated with cannabis use. Conclusions: In a state that had early adoption of medical and recreational cannabis legislation, a high number of cancer survivors report cannabis use. Moderate or more severe pain was associated with an increased likelihood to use cannabis, while mood and general health were not associated. Oncologists should be aware of these trends and assess use of cannabis when managing long-term symptoms of cancer and its treatments.

Novel recruitment approaches and operational results for a statewide population Cohort for cancer research: The Healthy Oregon Project.

Background: Cancer health research relies on large-scale cohorts to derive generalizable results for different populations. While traditional epidemiological cohorts often use costly random sampling or self-motivated, preselected groups, a shift toward health system-based cohorts has emerged. However, such cohorts depend on participants remaining within a single system. Recent consumer engagement models using smartphone-based communication, driving projects, and social media have begun to upend these paradigms. Methods: We initiated the Healthy Oregon Project (HOP) to support basic and clinical cancer research. HOP study employs a novel, cost-effective remote recruitment approach to effectively establish a large-scale cohort for population-based studies. The recruitment leverages the unique email account, the HOP website, and social media platforms to direct smartphone users to the study app, which facilitates saliva sample collection and survey administration. Monthly newsletters further facilitate engagement and outreach to broader communities. Results: By the end of 2022, the HOP has enrolled approximately 35,000 participants aged 18-100 years (median = 44.2 years), comprising more than 1% of the Oregon adult population. Among those who have app access, ∼87% provided consent to genetic screening. The HOP monthly email newsletters have an average open rate of 38%. Efforts continue to be made to improve survey response rates. Conclusion: This study underscores the efficacy of remote recruitment approaches in establishing large-scale cohorts for population-based cancer studies. The implementation of the study facilitates the collection of extensive survey and biological data into a repository that can be broadly shared and supports collaborative clinical and translational research.