Table 1.
Table Displaying the Characteristics of Each Study
| Study | Population | Intervention (n=number of participants) |
|
Outcome |
Duration | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arm 1 | Arm 2 | Arm 3 | Comparison | Primary | Secondary | |||
| Beal et al. (1995)39 | AIDS patients with anorexia-associated weight loss | 2.5 mg dronabinol b.d. (n=72) | — | — | Placebo (n=67) | Change in appetite (VAS) Change in weight (kg) |
Mood, nausea, and vomiting (VAS) | 6 weeks |
| Jatoi et al. (2002)40 | Cancer-associated Cachexia | 2.5 mg dronabinol+placebo b.d. (n=152) | Oral megestrol acetate 800 mg/day suspension o.d. +2.5 mg dronabinol b.d. (n=158) | — | oral megestrol acetate 800 mg/day o.d.+placebo (n=159) | Change in appetite (VAS) | Patient and Physician reported weight change, kg QoL assessment (FAACT) |
4 weeks |
| Strasser et al. (2006)43 | Cancer-associated Cachexia | Cannabis Extract (2.5 mg THC +1 mg CBD) b.d. (n=95) | 2.5 mg THC b.d. (n=100) | — | Placebo (n=48) | Change in appetite (VAS) | QoL Assessment (Global Health Status Score and EPRTC QLQ-C30) | 6 weeks |
| Timpone et al. (1997)41 | HIV wasting syndrome | 2.5 mg Dronabinol b.d. (n=12) | 750 mg megestrol acetate o.d. +2.5 mg dronabinol b.d. (n=13) | 250 mg megestrol acetate o.d. +2.5 mg dronabinol b.d. (n=13) | 750 mg megestrol acetate o.d. (n=12) | Pharmacokinetics (through plasma sampling) | Weight Change (kg and BMI) Appetite, mood, and nausea (VAS) |
12 weeks |
| Turcott et al. (2018)42 | Nonsmall-cell lung cancer patients with anorexia | 0.5 mg Nabilone o.d. for 2 wks then 1.0 mg Nabilone o.d. (n=14) |
— | — | Placebo (n=19) | Energy intake (g and kcal) QoL (EORTC-QLQ-C30 and LC13) AC/S score Change in appetite (VAS) |
BMI Weight change Proinflammatory markers (through plasma sampling) |
8 weeks |
o.d.—once daily; b.d.—twice daily; EORTC-QLQ—European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality-of-Life Questionnaire (C30 and LC13—specific for cancer and lung cancer, respectively).
AC/S, anorexia–cachexia subscale of FAACT; AIDS, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome; BMI, body mass index; CBD, cannabidiol; FAACT, Functional Assessment of Anorexia–Cachexia Therapy instrument; QoL, quality of life; THC, tetrahydrocannabinol; VAS, Visual Analog Scale.