40 percent of cancer patients already use cannabis for symptom relief, but clinical guidance is lacking
BOSTON, Oct. 16, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — EO Care, which provides the first clinically guided cannabis health and wellness solution for employers, payers and associations, announced today that non-profit Twist Out Cancer has selected EO Care as its cannabis care content partner.
Twist Out Cancer provides psychosocial support to previvors, survivors & caregivers through creative arts programming which serves as a mechanism for healing. Its community is comprised of tens of thousands of people who have been touched by cancer. Soon, visitors to the Twist Out Cancer web site will be able to access EO Care’s educational material about cannabis including whether it’s right for them, how to optimize their use, and even how to reduce their use.
Jenna Benn Shersher, Founder and CEO of Twist Out Cancer, said, “Cannabis is part of the cancer journey for many people in the Twist Out Cancer community, but clinical guidance is lacking. Physicians don’t prescribe cannabis, so patients are left to figure it out on their own. We’ve partnered with EO Care to ensure people have access to clinically based guidance specifically developed for cancer patients. We’re proud to be the first to offer this resource to the cancer community.”
Medical cannabis – legal in 39 states – is now a common way for cancer patients help manage their pain, nausea, sleeplessness and anxiety during treatment – in fact, up to 40% of patients with cancer will use cannabis at some point along their cancer trajectory for treatment related side effects – either during treatment or during survivorship. And for many patients, medical cannabis is less risky than opioids and other controlled substances when it comes to side effects and addiction.
EO Care has developed specific care pathways for cancer patients seeking alternative symptom abatement strategies using cannabis. Brooke Worster, M.D., Director, Division of Supportive Oncology at Jefferson Health and medical care advisor at EO Care, has performed groundbreaking research into the benefits of cannabis for cancer patients. “Today, many cancer patients are using cannabis unsafely and ineffectively,” said Dr. Worster. “No one is checking for drug interactions, and some people are making themselves ill. Counter staff at dispensaries are not trained clinicians. EO Care is filling that gap, providing real clinical guidance for those seeking to use cannabis for health reasons.”
“According to the National Cancer Institute, 1 in 2 people will get cancer in their lifetime,” said Sean Collins, Co-founder and CEO of EO Care. “Cannabis has been proven by Dr. Worster and many others to have a measurable impact on relieving symptoms. Through this partnership with Twist Out Cancer, we hope to help many more cancer patients make safe choices about using cannabis.”
About EO Care
EO Care is the first clinically guided cannabis health and wellness solution for employers, payers and associations. Its digital health service gives HR and benefits leaders the necessary tools to help employees determine if cannabis should be part of their healthcare journey or not by providing clinical education and personalized care guidance. Built on data from over 18,000 cannabis clinician and patient interactions, EO Care provides clinician guidance and proprietary data models to help employers tackle unguided cannabis use and give employees an effective option for relief in cancer treatment, pain management, opioid replacement, anxiety, and sleep management. The company is led by a team of experts in CX healthcare, biotech and data intelligence. To learn more visit http://eo.care.
