Veteran News Anchor Says He Once Turned To Marijuana for Pain Relief While Battling Multiple Myeloma – What Experts Say About Marijuana and Cancer Patients

“Integrative therapy is when patients come to see me when they want to add alternative or complementary therapies to their conventional treatments,” Dr. Junella Chin, an integrative cannabis specialist, tells SurvivorNet.

Dr. Chin adds that many people working through pain and side effects associated with their diagnosis have likely tried other traditional methods before resorting to medical marijuana.

WATCH: Using marijuana to alleviate symptoms.

“When you take plant-based cannabis, marijuana, you’re decreasing inflammation, and you’re relieving pain at the same time,” Dr. Chin says.

The human body contains an endocannabinoid system that helps us deal with chronic pain. However, sometimes, this natural system just isn’t enough to cope with the pain; hence, pain-relieving treatments and methods exist. Dr. Chin adds that phytocannabinoids from the cannabis plant help replenish the body’s natural cannabinoid system, aiding pain management and inflammation.

What Are the Risks of Smoking Cannabis?

A recent study found that people who smoke cannabis tend to have higher amounts of toxic metals such as lead and cadmium in their blood and urine. These metals impact the brain and cause kidney and heart problems. Cadmium is also known to cause cancer.

Furthermore, SurvivorNet experts such as Dr. Raja Flores say smoking cannabis can be linked to lung cancer, and its smoke may contain the same carcinogens as cigarettes. Despite these risks, some cancer patients continue using cannabis to deal with symptoms or side effects associated with chemotherapy, which may include nausea and pain.

About 40% of breast cancer patients use cannabis, according to a 2021 study, and most patients who use the drug report doing so to relieve symptoms associated with treatment, such as pain, anxiety, insomnia, and nausea/vomiting.

The new study that evaluated more than 7,000 people between 2005 and 2018 measured levels of five metals in their blood and 16 in their urine. They found that people who used marijuana had “significantly higher lead and cadmium levels in blood and urine than people who didn’t use [cannabis].” These toxic metals are also found in some cigarettes.

Despite the claims cannabis may benefit some cancer patients, many experts we spoke to urged against it, including Dr. Raja Flores, who is the Chairman of the Department of Thoracic Surgery for Mount Sinai Health System.

“As someone on the front lines, who sees this every day, I’ve seen lung cancer caused by marijuana that is incredibly aggressive,” Dr. Flores tells SurvivorNet.

“There is no real good population-based study that looks at marijuana smoking, and that has had enough time elapsed to show it’s associated with lung cancer, [but] I’ve seen it. I’ve seen multiple multiple cases of it. I see it every day,” Dr. Flores says.

RELATED: Can Marijuana Cause Cancer?

Smoking’s Known Cancer Risks

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), tobacco smoke contains a mixture of more than 7,000 different chemicals, at least 70 of which are known to cause cancer.

The CDC says that cigarette smoking is linked to about 80 to 90 percent of lung cancer deaths, and people who smoke cigarettes are 15 to 30 times more likely to get lung cancer or die from lung cancer than people who don’t smoke. Additionally, second-hand smoke can cause lung cancer. The American Cancer Society estimates that about 7,000 adults die of lung cancer annually from breathing second-hand smoke.

RELATED: Smoking Marijuana May Increase Testicular Cancer Risk

Brokaw’s Multiple Myeloma Journey

The former “Nightly News” host was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2013. This type of cancer is a rare type of blood cancer that hinders the body’s ability to fight infections. It can cause weakness, dizziness, bone pain, and confusion, among other symptoms. Advancements in multiple myeloma treatments have improved the lives of patients battling the disease.

Brokaw managed to continue working as a journalist until finally retiring in 2021 after 55 years of service. While working through his treatment, Brokaw received a breakthrough treatment to help him manage his symptoms.

He received Revlimid (generic name lenalidomide), a breakthrough oral medication that has helped treat patients living with multiple myeloma. Combined with other therapies, standard doses of lenalidomide kill off myeloma cells.

Low doses of Revlimid are then used as maintenance therapy to help keep the immune system on alert to target the myeloma in case it reemerges within the body.

“The Revlimid thing for me has been no side effects whatsoever,” Brokaw told SurvivorNet.

“I think that I’m doing as well as I am in part because of Revlimid. I’ve been very fortunate, of course, in not having a reaction to a lot of the very powerful drugs that I am taking, my bomb is Revlimid on a daily basis,” Brokaw continued.

The new treatment has shown great promise, giving multiple myeloma patients and their families hope.

“If you look at the most recent meta-analysis of clinical benefit from lenalidomide, you’re seeing survival gains of two and 1/2 to three years as a median by virtue of its use. And that’s not progression-free survival, that’s overall survival,” Dr. Paul Richardson, director of clinical research at the Jerome Lipper Multiple Myeloma Center, previously told SurvivorNet.

“What we’re realizing is that lenalidomide (Revlimid) is really conferring tremendous clinical benefit by virtue of its continuous use, and it’s impacting on survival and progression-free survival in a remarkably substantial fashion,” Dr. Richardson added.

Brokaw says he’s maintained a good quality of life since beginning the maintenance therapy.

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