Professor Emeritus of Clinical Medicine; Chief of Hematology-Oncology (Emeritus)
University of California, San Francisco / Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital · San Francisco, CA
Donald Abrams is a pioneering oncologist and integrative medicine physician who has spent four decades at the intersection of cannabis medicine and cancer care. As Chief of Hematology-Oncology at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, he conducted some of the first FDA-approved clinical trials of smoked cannabis in HIV/AIDS patients in the 1990s, establishing the safety and efficacy of cannabis for HIV-associated neuropathy and wasting syndrome. Abrams has been a consistent voice for evidence-based cannabis integration in oncology, authoring landmark reviews on cannabis for cancer-related symptoms and serving on the Society for Integrative Oncology's cannabis guidelines committee. He is co-editor of the definitive textbook "Integrative Oncology" and has received the American Cancer Society's Clinical Research Professorship.
Neurology · 2007
RCT of smoked cannabis (3.56% THC) for HIV-associated sensory neuropathy in 50 patients. Cannabis reduced daily pain by 34% vs. 17% for placebo (p=0.03). 52% of cannabis patients achieved ≥30% pain reduction vs. 24% placebo. Established cannabis as an effective treatment for HIV neuropathy.
DOI: 10.1212/01.wnl.0000253187.66183.9cCurrent Oncology · 2016
Comprehensive review of cannabis use in cancer patients covering prevalence, indications (pain, nausea, anorexia, anxiety, sleep), evidence quality, drug interactions, and practical guidance for oncologists. Became the standard reference for oncology cannabis integration.
DOI: 10.3747/co.23.3099Annals of Internal Medicine · 2003
RCT of smoked cannabis and dronabinol in HIV patients showing both increased caloric intake and body weight vs. placebo without adverse effects on viral load or immune function. Established safety of cannabis in immunocompromised patients.
DOI: 10.7326/0003-4819-139-4-200308190-00008