Abstract PS1-05-07: Guided cannabis care and its impact on personally important outcomes among cancer patients: a prospective assessment

Abstract Background: Increasingly, patients with cancer explore cannabis as an adjunct therapy to help manage symptoms and improve quality of life. However, rigorous evaluations of its effectiveness in supporting meaningful functional gains—particularly those prioritized by patients themselves—remain limited. Personally Important Outcomes (PIOs) provide a patient-centered metric that targets specific daily activities each individual deems critical to their quality of life. We set out to determine whether a structured, guided cannabis care program could meaningfully improve patient-designated PIOs. Methods: Patients were recruited from multiple oncology centers, a dedicated marketing site, and various cancer advocacy organizations. Each patient completed an intake survey covering their health history, personal information, and a baseline PIO survey, identifying up to three activities they wished to track (e.g., walking, cooking). Each activity was scored on a 10-point scale, with a total of 119 activities tracked across 49 patients. Using a Bayesian model built from available research and real-world outcomes data, a personalized care plan was constructed by integrating patient profiling inputs into individualized recommendations for products, dosages, and times of use. The plan was then reviewed by a clinician before being sent to the patient. Regular check-ins were conducted to monitor efficacy and side effects, and the regimen was adjusted as needed based on patient feedback. Throughout treatment, periodic reassessments of PIO scores allowed investigators to track functional changes over time and determine whether cannabis interventions correlated with improvements. Statistical Analyses: To quantify the magnitude of changes in PIO scores, we conducted a paired-sample Cohen’s d analysis comparing baseline and an average of follow-up assessment scores. Results: Analysis of changes in PIO scores revealed a large effect size (Cohen’s d=1.01), indicating a substantial improvement in patients’ ability to engage in their activities. This effect was statistically significant (p=0.000). At baseline, participants frequently cited mobility challenges, fatigue during daily tasks, and difficulty with daily activities as key concerns. Following guided cannabis care, many reported higher levels of daily functioning and reduced perceived difficulty. At 4 weeks, only 15% of patients experienced side effects, which included dizziness, anxiety, feeling overly intoxicated, or an elevated heart rate. Qualitative feedback suggested that patients valued having a structured approach to cannabis, including guidance on product selection and dosing strategies tailored to their symptoms. Such individualized support may have enhanced treatment adherence and optimized outcomes. Conclusions: These data underscore the potential of guided cannabis care to deliver meaningful functional improvements for both survivors of cancer and for patients in active cancer treatment. Because PIOs reflect personal priorities—rather than generic benchmarks—this method captures patient-specific progress in a more nuanced manner than many existing patient-reported outcome measures. An effect size of 1.01 demonstrates that the improvement is both clinically relevant and statistically robust, reinforcing the importance of incorporating guided cannabis care into oncology care when appropriate. Citation Format: B. Worster, K. Parton. Guided cannabis care and its impact on personally important outcomes among cancer patients: a prospective assessment [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium 2025; 2025 Dec 9-12; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2026;32(4 Suppl):Abstract nr PS1-05-07.