Machado Rocha, F.C., Stefano, S.C., De Cassia Haiek, R., Rosa Oliveira, L.M., & Da Silveira, D.X. (2008). Therapeutic use of cannabis sativa on chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting among cancer patients: Systematic review and meta-analysis. European Journal of Cancer Care, 17, 431–443.
To use a systematic literature review and meta-analysis to evaluate interventions using Cannabis sativa in the treatment of chemotherapy-related nausea and vomiting
Databases searched were MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, LILACS, and the Cochrane Collaboration Controlled Trials Register (12-2006).
Searched keywords were Medical Search Headings (MeSH) therapeutics, drug therapy, chemical and pharmacologic phenomena, neoplasms, antineoplastic and immunosuppressive therapy, marijuana abuse, cannabis, randomized controlled trials, and clinical trials.
Studies were included in the review if they
Studies were excluded from the review if they involved patients receiving radiotherapy.
The initial search yielded 12,749 papers. After scanning titles for inclusion, 735 abstracts were evaluated. Of these, 96 papers were reviewed and a final sample of 30 RCTs were included in the review. RCTs that were appropriate for meta-analysis numbered 13. Studies were rated for quality using the Cochrane Manual for methodological quality evaluation in terms of bias risk.